We should now shift our focus on strengthening informal sectors through Government programs by providing more assistance to small, micro and medium enterprises, says SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka.
He made the comment in commemoration of World Social Justice Day with the theme “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment”.
Mr Gavoka said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of workers in the global informal sector and according to International Labour Organization more than two billion people are employed in the informal sector, that accounts for 62 per cent of the global workforce.
He said the focus should be on the need to formalise employment and raising the minimum wage limit as a means of reducing poverty and inequality.
“Informal workers often lack social protection and employment-related benefits.
“Most people join the informal workforce not by choice, but due to lack of opportunities in the formal economy,” Mr Gavoka said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiji’s two main informal industries, agriculture and tourism, were hit hard.
They suffered severe blows to both their revenue streams.
“The tourism sector regressed heavily due to travel restrictions placed on Fiji from its two biggest markets, New Zealand and Australia.
“The agricultural industry was affected because of the export restrictions from foreign markets seizing imports to contain the highly infectious COVID-19 virus.”
He said we should shift our focus by strengthening informal sectors through Government programs by providing more assistance to the small, micro and medium enterprises. “Government grants will help informal businesses to expand.
“These will help to reduce poverty and inequality and at the same increase productivity and sustainability within a decent workforce.
“COVID-19 has revealed a fundamental flaw in our approach towards the informal sector. As we have seen, we are far from where we want to be as a country economically. Now the cards have been dealt, it is up to us how we play the hand that has been dealt to us.”
