Fiji Premier welcomes move

Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Baininimarama says the operations at the two major ports of Suva and Lautoka will be boosted through the agreement signed with Aitken Spence Plc.

He said the partnership would also see radical reforms in Fiji’s two major ports and create employment opportunities, according to Fiji News

In another report the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that Fiji’s alliance with Aitken Spence was undoubtedly one of the most significant of the PPP agreements that Government was forging as it reformed a range of sectors in Fiji. The cost of doing business would fall and all Fijians would benefit.

Chairman of Aitken Spence Maritime Parakarama Dissanayake said they were ready to lift the services at the Suva and Lautoka ports, but admitted that a lot of work had to be done.

Fiji’s Public Enterprises Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said there were certain key performance indicators that Aitkens Spence needed to meet over a 15=year period to bring about efficiency. If these are not met, then the company will face penalties, according to a separate report in Fiji Village.com.