GOVERNMENT is constantly working towards ensuring that employment opportunities are made available through an “enabling environment”.
This was highlighted by the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, at the 2017/2018 National Budget consultations for schools at the Vunimono Community Hall in Nausori yesterday.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was responding to a student who asked about Government’s move to curb the problem of job opportunities available compared with the number of students graduating.
“Job advertisements are obviously increasing, but there are obviously a lot more job demand in certain areas than in other areas,” he said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, however, pointed out the lack of specialists and qualified people in certain skill sets.
“I’ll give you an example, we now have people from Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia working in the construction industry because we don’t necessarily have good tradespeople,” he said.
“Our job is to grow the economy and when we grow the economy, the economy does not grow in a vacuum. When it grows, it needs people to work. Like I said if someone is going to build a new factory they need workers to work there.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also reiterated that while it was Government’s objective to constantly grow the economy, they were to ensure that people on the margins were included in the growth.
More than 300 students showed anticipation in asking questions to the Economy Minister during the consultations.
source:The Fiji Times Online
