CONFIDENCE of the private sector in its apex member-organisation as the national voice for employers remains strong, said Fiji Commerce and Empployers Federation (FCEF) chief executive officer Edward Bernard.
This follows the recent Combined Council Meeting (CCM) in Nadi of FCEF’s nine councils in Nadi last Friday, in which FCEF members received first hand update from the Secretariat, Board and Councils on the extensive progress achieved this year.
Membership confidence, Mr Bernard said, was at an all-time high.
“The active lobbying and advocacy work on the review of the Employment Relations Act, our proactive actions in submitting proposals to the Wages Council and facilitating member engagement and contributions to a wide range of national policies relating to employment, labour mobility, TVET, education and trade has brought about a renewed confidence in the Federation,” he said.
“The Federation’s 9 active Councils – spanning sectors from tourism and transport to manufacturing, MSMEs, and WEBC – have played a vital role in advocating for reforms, providing industry-specific insights and working closely with government and development partners to strengthen Fiji’s economic resilience.”
This financial year, FCEF collected seven per cent more subscriptions than the last financial year, which allowed FCEF to be in a better financial situation to provide relevant services to members.
“While the training arm is undergoing review, about $385,000 has been mobilised through donor funding to enhance secretariat activities in the last eight months alone,” Mr Bernard said.
“In order to further add to FCEF’s value proposition, the Board has approved a restructure of membership categories and explicitly detailed the financial and non-financial services that a member can access.
“The new seven-tier (from the five tier) structure provides for a more fair and rationalised membership spread and inclusive of micro and small businesses including women-owned businesses.
“Other private sector organisations can now also be members of FCEF, with a clear set of benefits.”
Membership fee, according to Mr Bernard, is based on the FNU levy organisations pay, a fair formula administered by FCEF for many years and that serves all types and size of companies.
“The highest categories are Diamond and Platinum and they account for 51 percent of total subs, a category that has been growing over the years.
“Having a flat rate for all members, regardless of size and type of organization, does not make business sense.”
FCEF has also launched its new online membership portal, in line with its digital strategy, and the platform now enables members to digitally register, access current business information and easily engage in policy dialogues and events.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated June 26, 2025
