Call for proper infrastructure
GOVERNMENT should ensure proper infrastructure is available locally before it signs the country up for international conventions abroad.
These was the plea made by Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association chief executive officer Fantasha Lockington at the Maritime Travelers Rights Consultation in Nadi.
She said this while highlighting the dire need for proper infrastructure in the local maritime sector.
“I don’t know whether the people that sign Fiji up for international conventions overseas really understand where our policies are in and where our regulations are up to and the difficulties we have to go through to try and make sure these meet those international conventions,” Ms Lockington said.
“All of a sudden everyone is trying to run around to make sure we can match it.
“Maybe we don’t go signing up for these conventions, it is wonderful if you are a first world country but Fiji is struggling to become a country that’s recognised.”
Ms Lockington said sometimes those in power “may want to do the right things and signed up for things that would be so difficult to achieve”.
She said Government needed to consider having proper infrastructure available first.
Ministry of Transport director transportation Frances Kinivuwai thanked stakeholders at the consultation for coming up with views on how they could assist improve maritime travellers’ rights.
She said all recommendations would be looked into by the steering committee of the National Policy on Maritime Travellers Rights.
The committee included the Transport Ministry, Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, Fiji Navy, Consumer Council of Fiji and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission.