Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh has defended the remuneration of the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s current chief executive, saying he earns only a fraction of what expatriate CEOs received under the previous administration.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Singh said criticism directed at FSC workers and management was unfair, stressing that all employees deserved respect regardless of their position.
Responding to comments made by Opposition MP William Pillay, Singh said previous expatriate general managers and chief executive officers were paid significantly higher salaries and benefits.
“When the previous administration had expatriate general managers or CEOs, they were paid around a million-dollar package, three quarters of a million,” Singh said.
“One was staying in Denarau. A $2,000 rent was paid by FSC.”
He said the corporation’s current local CEO receives only about a quarter of that remuneration.
“The current CEO is probably paid about 25 per cent of that,” Singh told Parliament.
Singh said the focus should be on supporting local workers rather than criticising them.
“All workers must be treated with dignity, whether they are senior staff or junior staff,” he said.
“Our local workers are all there, and I implore people to respect them, Mr Speaker.”
The minister’s comments came during parliamentary debate on issues affecting the Fiji Sugar Corporation and its workforce.
