ANY potential sale of the Fiji Sugar Corporation to a private entity must involve widespread industry consultation, says Lautoka Cane Producers Association chairman Bala Dass.
Responding to recent comments by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka regarding privatisation discussions, Mr Dass said a decision of this magnitude cannot be made by the Government alone.
“The Prime Minister himself cannot make the decision to sell this because there are so many people involved in it,” he said.
“The farmers are involved, the labourers are involved, the truck drivers are involved, the FSC employees are involved,that is something that has to be consulted.”
Mr Dass warned that transitioning the corporation to private ownership would require extensive negotiation to protect stakeholders and ensure continued state support.
“If it is owned by a private company, then a lot of things need to be negotiated, and what we want is the government’s involvement.”
Mr Dass called on Government leadership to provide full transparency on what privatisation would entail for the industry.
“The Government has to somehow or other, whether it is a private company, whether it is a statutory body or whatever, have some say on it because people are involved.
” A large number of people, about 20 per cent of the population of this country, is involved in the industry. It is not that easy for the government to sell the whole thing to somebody else.
“We also need expertise to advise on it.”
