By Wata Shaw in Suva
Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto.
Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of the coalition government in power,” he said.
“So, for the coalition government, it’s time to defend your record — if there is anything to defend at all.”
Naupoto said this must be the reason why the government had laid the blame on FijiFirst “to cover them doing little or nothing at all”.
He said there had been a sharp rise in crime and that the drug problem was at a crisis level.
Citing the International Monetary Fund, Naupoto said the economy was slowing down at 3 percent and life was hard on the ground.
“There’s a general shortage of skilled workers, there is brain drain as well.
“FijiFirst put in place policies to reverse that brain drain and turn it into a brain gain where Fijians could come back and invest in our country.
“This government, it looks like, will be a brain drain gone.”
Naupoto added that the opposition would never shy away from its job of criticising and asking tough questions of the government.
Wata Shaw is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.
