THE Government has expressed disappointment at an announcement by the Grace Road Group that it would halt all new projects and business expansion in Fiji while it reviewed its “future direction”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica said it was possible the Grace Road Church may have been confused by press reports about the Government’s intentions.
Grace Road took out the statement after The Fiji Times reported allegations earlier this week that a female member escaped from its True Mart Navua branch last week, claiming she’d been separated from her children.
The woman had also claimed the church’s 300 members were made to work in “slave-like” conditions and that she’d suffered physical assault from Grace Road Church members.
“I’m certainly disappointed with the expressions of the Grace Road because it’s absolutely contrary to where Fiji is going,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“We are very investor-friendly.
“We’re not a Government that controls the press. The press has reported on an issue, and it’s got nothing to do with the Government.”
Mr Kamikami said he hoped the church could retract its statement.
“We’ve been more than friendly to them and we’ve tried to be accommodating.
“They’ve been investing quite a bit in the country, so, I hope they do reconsider their statement because certainly they know for a fact that it’s not the way the Government of Fiji treats investors.”
Mr Kamikamica said the Grace Road Church had created new standards of retail in Fiji and that the Government respected them for that.
“But I hope they can understand the situation,” he added.
