The Government has dismissed claims it has failed to engage with maritime stakeholders, saying consultations with shipping operators have been ongoing and will continue.
Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau said while concerns raised by operators were legitimate, the Ministry of Transport and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) had maintained regular dialogue with the industry.
“That’s probably a legitimate concern, but we have engaged with them on recent issues and continue to engage with them — the door is open to MSAF and the Ministry of Transport,” he said.
Ro Filipe acknowledged that Government and operators often viewed issues from different perspectives, with shipping companies focused on commercial operations while regulators were responsible for ensuring compliance with safety and legislative requirements.
“We need to understand their perspectives because they are running a business,” he said.
“But the end result should be one that protects the safety of passengers while enabling operators to continue their businesses.”
He said recent discussions had already produced positive outcomes, including the resumption of services by affected operators and support from other shipping companies.
Ro Filipe also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to prioritising local employment, saying operators seeking to recruit overseas crew must first demonstrate that suitably qualified Fijians were unavailable before foreign workers could be approved.
