Protect local industries. That is the call from Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) chief executive officer Edward Bernard, who says more could have been done in the 2025–2026 National Budget to shield domestic industries from external economic shocks.
“What I think the private sector would have liked to see more of is protection for our local industries,” Mr Bernard said.
“Local industries invest a lot in the economy.
“They employ a large share of the Fijian people, they trade, and they export.
“They earn a lot of revenue for the government and export, and they also earn a lot of foreign reserves.”
Mr Bernard said those concerns stemmed from mounting global economic uncertainty.
“I think in the next few days, the three-month moratorium on tariffs by the US event, and maybe the 32 per cent will kick in.
“That will impact farmers and local manufacturers.”
He also pointed to implications for Fiji’s local manufacturing sector if the country signs the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus).
“We haven’t signed the PACER Plus agreement yet, and there are some implications to local manufacturers if you do sign.”
Mr Bernard said the private sector did not assess the national budget in isolation.
“We look at budgets in terms of the macro and the global issue and situation. When the private sector looks at this national budget, we look at it in a broader term than just the end to the end, but we look at national budgets to provide us with the foundation and the basis for stability so that when these disruptions come up in the horizons, we’re able to buffer that.”
