Keep concessions, says Dr Ali
THE incentive, concessions and assistance available from Government to the business sector should continue into the next financial year, says Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr Nur
Bano Ali.
She made the comment on Monday when asked on what her expectations were on the upcoming national budget.
She said the business sector was satisfied with the support from the Government.
“As I said, broadly speaking, we would not like anything to change, but what we had is the opportunity to kind of think outside the box because the whole world is stressed at the moment with the same problem of having to innovate, of having to remodel their business,” she said.
“So that’s the direction, we all need to put our heads together and think.
“If we all collectively put our heads together with a common problem which is how to get the economy open and going again.”
Dr Ali said Fiji was moving in the right direction with the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines and she encouraged the public to register for the vaccination program.
She said people needed to get vaccinated because the country’s main stay was still tourism.
“We need that to come back and unless it comes back we won’t feel kind of that motivation or the boost, so this is why we need to prepare and quickly do that.
“At the same time with the current regulatory structure that we have, with the current framework of concessions and incentives that we have, it’s good.
“If it can just carry that on then businesses can regroup and refigure to face the next year.
“This year again is not going to be an exciting year, it’s going to be weak but nevertheless we have hope and the thinking is shifting, the thinking is changing in the direction of a bit of hope and motivation that things are happening and we have to be prepared.”
Dr Ali said for her business, they had decided to take the opportunity to upskill their workers.
“As professional people we have chosen to upgrade our skills and better educate and to think in a new way.
“More so than ever we need commercial and business thinking to be a big focus,” she said.