The chairman of Flour Mills of Fiji and chair of the Manufacturing Sector in the Fiji Chamber of Commerce Hari Punja said the government needs to set up certain rules to ensure that local manufacturers are always protected.
Punja said while there is emphasis to buy Fiji made products, some retailers are sometimes removing the local products off their shelves to ensure that their imported products are selling.
He said this issue needs to be addressed.
Punja, who is also the chairman of Blue Gas Limited, said they have invested more than $2 million to set up gas stations at various service stations around the country.
He hopes the current policy on gas operated cars is reviewed.
However, Punja agreed that while preparing the National Budget, the government has to play a balancing act to satisfy both the businesses and the general public.
Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama will deliver the 2011 National Budget this Friday.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
Feature
Local manufacturers must be protected
