FIJI Cane Growers Association president Attar Singh has questioned the need for Government to conduct a third round of consultations on the Reform of the Sugar Cane Industry Bill.
He also said amendments to the Reform of the Sugar Cane Industry Bill were nothing more than “cosmetic”.
While making a submission to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs in Tavua on Friday, he added the manner in which the consultations were being conducted were not conducive to comprehensive discussions on the Bill.
“I have learnt from media reports recently that there have been certain changes proposed to the Bill as they were originally presented and I’m deeply saddened to see that the sorts of changes that are being proposed are purely cosmetic.
“It’s for that reason I thought it necessary to front you again and to emphasise to you the need for this committee and the Government to start listening.
“You have made two rounds of consultations but you haven’t listened.
“Neither have you listened nor has the Government listened to what you have presented to them.”
Standing Committee chairperson Lorna Eden interjected and informed Mr Singh that no report on the previous two consultations had been presented as yet.
Assistant Minister for Transport Vijay Nath also intervened while Mr Singh was preparing to speak and asked him to stick to the topic and to cease from digressing.
“I will stick to the topic but you can’t be clinical about these things,” Mr Singh said.
“The sugar industry is wholly interconnected.
“And we can’t talk about one issue without talking about another. If you try to get every farmer here to talk about issues as you drafted the agenda, it won’t work.”
At this point, Ms Eden, interjected again and informed Mr Singh that the manner in which consultations were conducted this time had worked in Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka and Ba.
Mr Singh informed the Standing Committee that they could not confine themselves to discussions solely on the Reform Bill.
“The committee has to listen to the people’s concerns on the Bills and any other issue connected to the Bills regarding the industry.”
