Q1. Hon. Minister
Yabaki, How would you define at the moment
the main functions, tasks and main objective
for the near future of the Ministry for Fisheries
and Forestry?
A1. This Ministry is responsible for the
conservation and management of the resources
related to fisheries as well as to the forests.
We have legislated regulations and at the
same time we are expected to develop resources
that will enhance the development of these
resources for economic and social development
of the country. Thirdly, we are to carry out
a facilitation process to enhance the development
in such a way that we maximize the benefits
to the people, therefore it must be done in
a sustainable way with a long term approach.
In doing so, the benefits must go to the tenants
as well as to the resource owners. Particularly
now, one of the main emphasis of this government
is to ensure the resource owners benefits,
as they have generally been less forthcoming
in terms of participation and benefits gaining.
This is one of the main drives of the government.
If we achieve the resources owners development,
we can ensure that we can have a sustainable
development.
Q2. Since you have been involved in the
Ministry, what have been the most important
achievements so far?
A2. I have been here for less than a year.
One of the things, regarding fisheries, that
we are trying to put is a National framework
to develop the sector. The study is almost
complete by the National Fisheries Authority
and then we will carry out the legislation
as there is a need to control the fishing
industry. There will also be a study this
year, already approved, for the National Fisheries
Corporation, the main arm for commercial activities.
Q3. This National Fisheries Corporation,
in what ways will it be involved with the
private sector initiatives?
A3. The private sector is heavily involved
already. The National Fisheries Corporation
is going to spearhead some of the major programmes
and developments by the government. Where
there is a lack of investment the government
will start facilitating and then it will eventually
move out. One of the areas now is the agricultural
sector. Presently, there is not a lot of private
involvement and there is a big potential in
it. We would like to ensure that resource
owners also join and for them to join they
will need government support, otherwise they
do not have the immediate resources. It is
very important that they all participate to
ensure everyone's happiness, otherwise there
will be problems. It is the same in forestry.
There will be a Chief Executive on the board
of the corporation and networks will be set.
They will encourage private sector participation
in their corporation. There will be a form
of partnership with the investors and resource
owners. One of its main functions is to encourage
the involvement of the private sector in various
areas that are currently not being looked
after by private entrepreneurs. We are having
discussions with the Chinese who are really
interested. Asians are very good in aquaculture
development and right now we are looking at
the Marine Research. We have recently started
establishing links with the university, especially
the University of Hawaii. This week we have
been doing a lot of research and we need to
capitalize on this one. We need to know our
own capacity to make use of the data and turn
it into projects.
Q4. There is a huge potential in the
forestry sector. In what ways are you gogin
to make sure those opportunities are developed?
A4. In particular sectors, we can first
inject some capital to the cooperation. Apart
from promotion, we need to show them that
the infrastructure is being developed. It
is a fine area to start and then allow the
private sector to continue. This government
is focused on facilitating and enhancing the
private sector participation in all this areas.
In order to do so we are making infrastructure
studies to identify the particular areas where
we can best enhance achievements. The Fisheries
Venture Project is basically data on what
we have, not only for investors but also for
the resource owners to know. The main role
of the Government is to assist them in the
need of finance and resources, this has been
done in the forestry areas, with Pine for
instance, and they can run their own company
now. Mahogany is expected to be likewise.
We are now developing indigenous forest owners.
Q5. What do you expect from Mahogany?
A5. There are a lot of expectations. The
challenge for us is to maximize the benefits
out of the resources. There is no doubt that
the Mahogany name is big in the world timber
trade and there is also no doubt we have limited
resources all over the world of Mahogany plantations.
That is a grate start and the challenge now
is to try to control the exploitation of resources
where the Mahogany is planted. We believe
it will bring a lot of employment opportunities
and a lot of foreign exchange earning into
the country. The resource owners will be been
given the opportunity to have commercial participation.
They are in the villages and our challenge
is to bring them to the commercial level,
where they meaningfully participate and see
the benefit. They must be happy about it otherwise
there will be a lot of future problems. Getting
the resources owners in is not easy but we
managed with the Pine though it took a while.
Now the pine land owners have machinery, trucks
and contractors. We had to be an assistant
for them to the level of book keeping, accounting
and negotiation with the banks, ensuring that
there are funds available for them. Human
Resource training is provided in accounting
and business. They need discipline in certain
areas, getting them to come to work everyday,
that is a challenge at the same time. It is
not easy but it has been done. The important
factor is to have an institution that is specifically
assisting them. Fiji Pine land owners are
lucky to have Fiji Pine Ltd. with the main
focus to help them. |
Q6. Will it
be Fiji Hardwood Corporation for the Mahogany?
A6. It has to be a vehicle there. There
is general government assistance scheme for
people, Indigenous Fijians especially, because
at the end of the day it is in everybody's
interest to ensure that they succeed. I was
head of that Pine Corporation for ten years
and we developed measures to get rid of the
fires. The forests burnt in the past and now
there is less forest being burnt.
Q7. What is the objective and efforts
in terms of training and Human Resources?
A7. Capacity building. In terms of the
Training Center, at the moment we have one
for forestry and we also ensure that there
are training facilities for fisheries. There
are various Markets. One is the forestry officials.
In order to help other people they need to
be trained themselves. And for the private
sector, we need to train people so that they
can be employed by the companies.
Q8. Do you think investors are aware
of the opportunities in your sector and
that Fiji is getting ready to receive them?
A8. I believe that investors are aware
because there has been a lot of enquiries,
especially from Asia, because they have been
here, the Japanese, the Chinese and the Taiwanese.
There has been a discussion with both, the
government and the private sector. In terms
of forestry it has always been a hot potato.
The Fiji Hardwood Cooperation is looking out
for strategic partner but this is yet to be
advertised. It was advertised earlier but
because of the change in the government it
was rescheduled and now we need to restart
all over again. The choice of the partners
is vitally important for us. To ensure that
we have the right one in Mahogany we have
to go to a niche marketing. What we have is
a plantation Mahogany. There would be weaknesses
and strengths and we have to capitalize on
the strengths. It is up to the new company,
the joint venture company, to identify what
are the strengths in the resources we have
and push them in terms of marketing. This
is why we believe it is important to get the
strategic partner quickly.
The Fiji Hardwood Cooperation Board's function
is to look for and find that partner, the
government will only ensure and encourage
them to do so, if we are not satisfied we
may have to change the board.
The job is to get a partner to work with so
they can have a new board in the joint-venture.
It is the board's function to find the funds
either from the government or from other sources
to do so. If they do not have the funds, why
have not they pushed the government harder?
They have a lot of resources and money, they
should do something about it.
Q9. Fiji's investment rate has been flat
the last decade. Now the country needs to
push it up to 25% of GDP. Why do you think
this has happened in the past decade?
A9. This is exactly one of the main focus
of this government. We have seen this trend
and we are working hard to push it up. We
can only blame the government policies and
perhaps the coup. The Government's job is
to manage rough and good times. If we do not
reach our target we are the ones to be blamed.
If we blame the coup, it was probably due
to bad management of government I believe.
This is why this government is trying to cover
up everything, like the resource owners. If
we see that Indigenous Fijians have been causing
the coup, what is wrong with them? They are
unhappy because they have all the resources
but cannot benefit, so we look at that. Our
stability now will add confidence to investors.
This is our long term approach.
The immediate term is of course the financial
aspects of incentives and infrastructure in
order to encourage investors. Things like
water, electricity, telephone, roads…
those are the things we have to improve. We
cannot do it over night but work is on its
way. For instance, the water problem, costly
phone calls, etc. are not attractive to investors.
When we ask them we get excuses and this is
what which we do not need. We need prompt
action and that is the government's job.
Q10. What would be the message from your
ministry to foreign investors?
A10. What other message to say but come
and invest. We have developed this place to
be the hub of the Pacific in terms of economic
involvement and facilities as well as air
links and sea links. There are hundreds of
fishing boats going around the Pacific, we
would like to ensure that most of them if
not all come to Fiji for servicing, we need
to do this. The message is: Fiji is the place
to come.
Winne cannot be held responsible for unedited
transcription.
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V.I.P. INTERVIEWS
