Sugarcane growers could soon elect representatives for the first time in more than two decades following amendments to its governing legislation, the Sugar Cane Growers Council says.
Its chief executive officer Vimal Dutt told the Standing Committee on the Sugar Industry consultation that elections could be held once the necessary preparations and funding were in place.
His comments came in response to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, who questioned why elections could not be conducted immediately if the legislative changes had already been made.
“If the laws have been changed, why can’t we have elections tomorrow?” Mr Kamikamica had asked.
In reply Mr Dutt said while the legal framework was now in place, several administrative requirements still needed to be completed before polling could proceed.
He said the amended legislation provided for the Sugar Industry Tribunal and the municipal commissioner to supervise the elections, with the tribunal responsible for conducting the process.
“There are other areas they may need to work on,” he said.
Mr Dutt also revealed that the council had made submissions seeking funding for the elections, but no allocation was provided for this in the recent national budget.
Despite this, he said, the consultations marked positive progress towards restoring grower representation.
He said holding elections would allow cane farmers to choose representatives to serve on the council’s board and advocate on issues affecting the sugar industry.
The last Sugar Cane Growers Council election was held in 2004, leaving growers without elected representatives for more than 20 years.
