Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu has raised serious concerns regarding the Prime Minister's decision for the Minister for Agriculture to also assume responsibility for the Sugar ministerial portfolio in the recent cabinet reshuffle.
In a statement, Seruiratu says for decades, sugar was recognised as a standalone ministerial portfolio for good reason.
He says the sugar industry is not just another agricultural sector but it is a strategic national industry that sustains the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Fijians including cane farmers, lorry drivers, mill workers, landowners and entire rural communities across the sugar belt.
Seruiratu says placing responsibility for sugar alongside the broader agriculture portfolio sends a worrying signal at a time when the industry is already under severe pressure.
He says the challenges facing sugar such as declining productivity, rising costs, farmer exits, mill inefficiencies and the absence of meaningful long-term reform require dedicated leadership, focused attention and sector specific expertise, not divided oversight.
Seruiratu says if the government is serious about the future of sugar, it must demonstrate leadership, honour parliamentary mandates and place the industry at the centre of national economic planning, not as a secondary responsibility within an already demanding portfolio.
The Opposition Leader says he will continue to demand accountability, transparency and urgent action in Parliament and in the public interest, on behalf of every Fijian whose livelihood depends on the sugar industry.
While responding to questions about the reshuffle, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says he was not getting what he expected, and felt it was not the fault of the ministers but perhaps the allocation of the portfolios.
Rabuka says the changes are aimed at improving delivery and ensuring the Government is better positioned for a demanding year ahead.
The Prime Minister says the reshuffle is not a reflection of individual ministerial performance, but rather an assessment of how portfolios were structured and whether they allowed ministers and ministries to deliver effectively.
He says the coalition government is entering a critical final stretch, with major work scheduled over the next year, including constitutional reforms, possible changes to electoral provisions and the completion of the Truth and Reconciliation process, alongside ongoing efforts to implement recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry.
Rabuka pointed to the consolidation of agricultural responsibilities as one example, noting that there is now no separate ministry for sugar, with the sugar industry brought fully under the Ministry of Agriculture.
