Fiji hopes for GSP continuance

01:23 Mon Sep 24, 2012
Report by: Shalveen Chand

There is hope that the United States makes a constructive decision when deciding on the Generalised System of Preferences for Fiji.

Permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Colonel Pio Tikoduudua says the government has responded to the United States, after unions lobbied to remove Fiji from the GSP.

He says the government does not want to see loss of jobs leading to bigger social and economic woes.

The GSP is a matter of the United States and labour law and how they deal with the issue. I would expect they dea; with this issue in a constructive manner. The matter that is before the GSP has been raised by the trade union movement in Fiji, and we the government have prepared a response to that.

Trade unions have asked for the suspension of GSP, which gives preferences to exports from Fiji.

The government is hoping that this won’t be taken as it would affect 15,000 workers in the country linked with different industries which export to the American market.