Honourable Speaker of Parliament,
The Honourable Prime Minister,
Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers,
Honourable Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers,
Honourable Leader of the Opposition,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Your Excellencies, High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corp,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
People of Fiji that maybe tuning in this afternoon.
Bula Vinaka, Namaste, Noia Mauri and a very good afternoon to you all.
I rise Mr Speaker to contribute to the debate on His Excellency’s Address and also present my Maiden speech.
In opening my contribution, please allow me Mr Speaker Sir to make the following salutations in the iTaukei language.
Ni sa tiko saka na Turaga na Ulu ni Veiliutaki ena ni Bose Lawa, Na Turaga Bale na Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, Na Turaga na Parai Minisita ni Noda Vanua, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, mai na Vanua saka mai Naqorovakarua vua na gone Turaga na Ratu na Tui Navatu,
O i rau sa na noqui tokani na vukevuke saka ni, Parai Minisita, Honourable Viliame Gavoka man na vanua saka ko Nakuvakarua, Louvatu na Kalevu na Tui Nadroga, Honourable Biman Prasad.
Ki vua Saka na liuliu ni to ni veisaqa, Honourable Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, mai Natena saka vua na gone Turaga na Roko Tui Kiuva,
Sa Vakaturaga raraba tale tiko ga ki Kubuna, na noqu Valelevu na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba, Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi na Vunivalu, Na Matanitu Veiwekani na Tovata, vei kemuni saka na lewe ni Bose Lawa ni tiko edai.
Sa ka dokai saka vei au meu tucake ena vuku ni noqu Vanua, Navitomi, vua saka Na Gone Turaga na Tudrau me dua saka na noqu cau ena veivosaki taki ni nodra vosa Turaga na Peresitedi kei na matai ni sevu ni Noqu vosa ena Loma saka ni Palimedi.
Mr Speaker Sir,
I speak in full support of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Fiji and Turaga bale na Tui Macuata, Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, speech delivered on the 3rd February 2023.
May I begin by offering the following quote to this August House, from 1998, and I quote:
“The coming into force of the Constitution Amendment Act 1997 on Monday 27th July 1997, will establish a new threshold for multiracial and multi-party cooperation in Fiji. But we must not be complacent. The job has just begun. The provisions of the Constitution have to be fully explained to the people, especially the indigenous Fijians. The rationale of the new amended Constitution and how their rights and interests have been safeguarded in an environment where they have to help themselves by working with people of other communities must be understood. In fact, the people of Fiji have been working together for more than a hundred years and together we have built a country where we have been blessed by the Almighty with abundant resources and opportunities. This is our reality. We shall not grow in stature and wealth by depriving others of their freedoms and opportunities. We must stand firm against the forces of racism, and ethnic violence, fundamentalist sectarianism and greed which is at large in the world today. We must educate and train the people of Fiji to seek to live with the truth, to respect the law, to be worthy of trust, to be industrious and competent, to respect the religious beliefs of others, to love and help children, honour and help our parents to set a good example, being temperate and not living in the promiscuity and as the Bible says: try not to do things that you would not like others to do to you and safeguard and improve our environment.
If we want to make Fiji a happy home for those who live in it, we must encourage and support all of the people of goodwill, religious bodies and non-government organisations to promote those principles which must form the foundation of a New Fiji.
Fiji is a few months away from making a historic decision at the next elections – we will be electing the first government of national unity – in which all major parties will be represented. All communities will be working side by side to make Fiji a better place to live and to give our children a better future.
But it will not be easy. It will need men and women who put Fiji and its people first but I believe, the goal of political stability and economic prosperity will be worth the sacrifice.
This is the promise of the New Fiji – a prosperous and happy nation.”
Josevata Nakausabaria Kamikamica – dated 24th July 1998
I decided to use this quote of my late father who was also a member of this August House in tribute to his life and of course my mum, Mrs Esiteri Kamikamica.
His speech which he titled the “Dream for New Fiji” in 1997 has absolute relevance today.
At the time there was an aura of Hope in Fiji. That exists the same aura of Hope and renewal today.
It calls for Unity, for Tolerance and respect for each other and for Leaders who are wanting to serve.
His Excellency the President speaks and demands unity and I quote, “Your Government’s mission is to build unity through social cohesion and further improve and strengthen our economy through sustainable growth with the ultimate objective of improving the lives of all the people of Fiji.”
I can stand here, and wax lyrical anecdotes or analogies about clapping with one hand or strength in numbers but I will not Mr Speaker, but rather challenge this August House and people of Fiji – are we serious about Unity?? Like 1998 and as stated by His Excellency, Unity is very important.
If like myself, we agree that we are serious about Unity then we cannot be complacent and we must lean in and work together.
Unity starts in this August House! Mr Speaker.
Sure, we will have debates, lob insults at each other but we must not forget the task at hand. It is large. It may be daunting.
But with God’s help, Together, unified in this House and across the nation we can truly build a happy and prosperous nation.
Mr Speaker Sir – Together we can!
It is vital that as a Nation we accept a fundamental truth, that we are one nation under God. Racial and religious intolerance has no place in the New Fiji. If we accept this as a country, if we do this in this August House, the road to Unity as a people is off to a great start.
There are 2 other significant keys to Unity.
We need to find women and men who put the country first.
The second is that the key to a Unified Fiji is a Government that listens. Not only in words and platitude but action and deeds Mr Speaker Sir. His Excellency urges us all the People’s Coalition Government I quote, “To ensure all initiatives and draft legislation must undergo a thorough consultation process for better outcomes, to ensure inclusiveness and foster greater ownership.”
Mr Speaker Sir,
We assure this Nation and the People of Fiji that we will listen.
There are major challenges that lay in front of us. Mr Speaker Sir, His Excellency has touched on this.
His Excellency spoke about the need to “To get our Economic House in order.” I am confident that we will get this done because Mr Speaker Sir, we are in this together.
However, of equal importance is the need to grow the pie or the economic cake.
Fiji is open for business Mr Speaker Sir.
Yes, there are a few impediments to doing business in Fiji and this shall be fixed Mr Speaker Sir. If we are to prosper as a country, we need to target to grow our economy by 50 percent in the next 10 years! It is an ambitious target Mr Speaker Sir.
But I have news for the People of Fiji Sir – Together Mr Speaker Sir, together as a Unified Nation, we can!
Over the next 12 months, we need to execute the following to name a few:
● Review of the civil service;
● Perform a fiscal review of our Government. The last review was in 2004;
● Hold National Economic Summit which shall form the basis of the national strategy for Fiji;
● Conduct Tripartite Forum which is exciting Mr Speaker Sir, as it means the Unions will have a true voice in our country; and
● Review the education system so it is ‘fit for purpose’ and relevant to the employment needs in Fiji in the 21st century.
Those bodies of work may seem daunting.
Mr Speaker Sir, but Together Sir, we can.
The Ministry which I head which covers Trade, SMEs, Co-operatives and Communications will work closely with the Ministry of Finance, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and other key Ministries to increase the economic pie. To be honest Mr Speaker, there are some significant opportunities out there – Energy, Tourism, Aviation, Commercial Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Fisheries, Forestries and the ICT sector, just to name a few. There is renewed interest for investment in our country.
There is also a real opportunity to make Fiji a genuine regional hub in the South Pacific, working together with our Pacific partners to bring about prosperity for all.
Mr Speaker Sir,
Transparency and investor confidence is fundamental. We shall operate on a ‘no surprises’ policy. We will contribute to work on modern and innovative trade and economic cooperation Agreements that make sense for Fiji.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is an example of a modern and forward looking trade agreement which will evolve as a powerful economic bloc. IPEF will address non-tariff barriers and modern trade logistic issues, which exacerbate the cost of doing business.
The IPEF is a US-led initiative that addresses the issues and challenges of the 21st century, Fiji is currently negotiating the IPEF with 13 other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, to name a few which represents 40 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product.
It will also leverage Public Private Partnership and Business-to-Business initiatives and has an opportunity to deliver foreign direct investments and technology transfer. Fiji is already seeing the benefits of IPEF without even signing an agreement and look forward to more tangible benefits in the coming days.
Another novel Agreement that will drive our transformation to a low emission, climate resilient economy is the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS). The ACCTS being negotiated with Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland draws nexus between trade, climate and environmental goals, with sustainability at its core.
In the regional context, we will focus on renewing cooperation and our trade relations with the Pacific.
We also aim to increase Fiji’s trading volume by diversifying our exports across a large number of products and trading partners. To do this, it is vital we build competitive advantages by redirecting incentives and initiatives to build capacities in MSMEs including co-operatives to engage in cross-border trade. We will particularly target the Youth and Women in the Rural settings.
Mr Speaker Sir,
Private sector engagement is more than ever important as it shapes the economic and social landscape. What I want is to see a private sector led growth. They are the key drivers of growth and innovation. And most importantly address the biggest challenges facing society today, such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.
Mr Speaker Sir,
The Coalition Government will create a supportive environment in which businesses can thrive and contribute to economic growth. By making things easier, businesses can focus on what they do best – providing goods and services to their customers. These hurdles can be fixed and it will be.
Having the right infrastructure and fair and transparent legislation and policies, that is when we can boost investments into the country – meaning more jobs and innovative opportunities for the people. Essentially, further promote economic diversification.
When I mean fair and transparent legislation, I mean a collaborative approach with the private sector in forming the right foundation. It is likely that an MSME Bill and the review of the Co-operative Act 1996 will be on the cards. I reassure this August House that the Co-operative Act and the MSME Bill will go through a consultation and review process to ensure all ideas are heard and considered.
Mr Speaker Sir,
We intend to encourage the development of new industries such as BPO, Green Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, to name a few. The Blue Economy is also an exciting prospect. They have the significant potential to grow in the coming years.
Professional Bodies are important players in providing sound advice and collective information for the Ministry to make better policy decisions.
Mr Speaker Sir,
Today, digitalisation has become a critical aspect of business success. We have seen increased digital economic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic especially for SMEs. It involves the integration of technology and digital tools into various business processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance.
From marketing and sales to supply-chain management, digitalisation has the power to transform businesses and revolutionise the way we work. E-commerce platforms allow MSMEs to reach a global audience, increasing their potential customer base and helping them to expand their business. It has also paved the way forward for business in reaching their true potential.
Through consultation and constructive discussion with stakeholders, I intend to further enhance the capability for businesses in using the e-commerce platforms and ability to expand their horizon.
Mr Speaker Sir,
As the Minister responsible for Communications, I believe that we have the opportunity to continue to transform the Country using Technology as the driver.
We are steadfast in our dedication to bring connectivity to the remaining 5 percent of unconnected Fijians which will further enhance their lives including through financial inclusion and access to digital services. With the universal services fund, we will connect the unconnected. There are also areas in Fiji where signals and access are weak. We plan to address these as well.
Mr Speaker Sir,
We will deliver on our promise regarding the Media Industry Development Act in order to ensure that the media industry is no longer oppressed. I have heard countless first-hand accounts of the trauma experienced by our journalists and the way in which this law has been used to paralyse the media.
Like in any democratic society, the media must be able to carry out its critical role in informing our people. This will be coming to the floor of this August House on the amendments that we will be proposing. Be assured, full consultation will take place before it is presented.
Mr Speaker Sir,
We are also mindful of the significant investments made in Walesi and there will be a paper submitted to Cabinet on the need for a detailed review of Walesi’s operations and the future roadmap.
MAIDEN SPEECH
Mr Speaker Sir,
May I be allowed to open my Maiden Speech in this August House.
In 1984, a very young man at his school prize giving ceremony uttered the famous words of President John Fritzergerald Kennedy about service before self. Today, that same not so young man, would like to quote the same words – “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
I challenge all of us in this August House to do the same. I will explain why.
But before I do, I would like to thank the Almighty God and his son Jesus Christ for his love, grace and blessings which has allowed me to serve my country. If there is one thing I have learnt in this journey, without God, it would not have been possible.
Now to explain why I chose the words of JFK in my maiden speech. Mr Speaker Sir, it is very simple, the moment demands it.
Fiji has some challenging times ahead which requires sacrifices and the desire to work together for our people. We cannot be complacent and bicker about petty issues.
As mentioned by my late Father, Fiji needs women and men who will put our country first.
I ask my Colleagues in this August House, are we such Women and Men?
The people of Fiji, our People deserve no less.
Mr Speaker Sir,
For those who do not know me, I am a descendant of 2 warrior clans, from Navitomi, from the Turaga na Tudrau, in Dravo Bau Tailevu, and from from Tacilevu, to the Buli Tacilevu, from Navunievu Bua. My dad’s village is also one of the warrior clans to the Vunivalu of Bau.
A warrior is by nature, selfless, their first instinct is to protect those around him and a desire to serve – service before self.
Mr Speaker Sir,
This is what I bring to this August House. A desire to serve my country and people well with integrity, truth and justice and that is my pledge to this House and the people of Fiji.
Mr Speaker Sir,
And this is why I used the quote from JFK. If any of us have come to this House to merely earn a salary or winge about election results, then this House is not for them.
Mr Speaker Sir,
I come to this place with significant hopefulness — as a practical person, a doer and a tireless worker. Before joining politics, I had a 33-year career in finance, aviation, banking and manufacturing.
I am here to make the lives of our People better by implementing actionable level headed policies and legislation – using the knowledge and skill I have gained from the real world. Like many of my colleagues in the August House, I believe we have a duty to our people and the responsibility to create opportunities for our children.
Mr Speaker Sir,
Of course remiss of me not to acknowledge, Mr Speaker Sir,my deepest thanks and appreciation for the support without which I would not be here today.
To my late father, Josevata Nakausabaria Kamikamica, my mother Mrs Esiteri Nuenue Kamikamica, my wife and rock, Ann Steele and our daughter Ann Marie, the Kamikamica Vakalala, Steele Families – I say, thank you.
To my hardworking company team in Tailevu South led by my Tavales, Mr Josevata Kamikamica, Mr Tevita Ravavai, Mr Pita Usaia Waqatairewa, Samisoni Bai and wife Sera Bai, Sekove Vadei, Na Turaga na Matasau and Turaga na Matakibau. – I will remain indebted.
To my Family in Navunievu, Vinaka vakalevu na veitokoni.
To the Momo Levu na Tui Nadi, Ratu Vuniyani Navuniuci, The Momo na Tui Nawaka, Ratu Tomasi Kanailagi and na Momo Na Taukei Vidilo Ratu Viliame Bouwalu, thank you for your Support and dedication. The People’s Alliance owe you a great debt of gratitude.
To Mr Saliceni Raiwalui and his late Wife Mr Meseini Raiwalui in Nadi, My Air Pacific and Waqavuka Family, Mr Joveci Balenaivalu, Titilia Vuataki, Ana Gale, Lanoma and Pradeep Singh and the supporters in the West and the PA Western Region Team, your efforts and support are deeply appreciated.
To my Vanua, Kubuna vua saka na Gone Turaga Bale na Vunivalu,na Tui Kaba, ka na Gone Turaga na Vunivalu, Navitomi vua na Gone Turaga na Turaga na Tudrau,Turaga na Roko Tui Viwa, Vunivivivi vua saka na Komai Komai Nausori, Nailagolaba, Vua na Turaga na Tui Kuku, Koro ni Kalou Vua saka na Roko Tui Cautata, Naceruku vua saka na Tora Dreketi, Na Tui Lomainasau and Tui Nabou – there are no words that will adequately describe my gratitude.
Team and those of you who I have not mentioned, anybody that voted 454, I thank you and Vinaka Saka Vakalevu.
I promise that I will not let you down.
Finally, Mr Speaker Sir, when God approached a Young King Solomon and asked him what he wanted, he asked for Wisdom. The rest is History.
I pray that all of us in this August House will seek God and the Wisdom he gave King Solomon.
Challenges that face our Nation are many Mr Speaker Sir, with God’s wisdom and Together Unified, we can.
May God Bless Our President. May God bless our Prime Minister and his Cabinet. May God Bless the members of this August House.
May God Bless the People of Fiji.