he Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre has called on the Minister for Local Government, Premila Kumar to have some respect and be more considerate while making public statements after Kumar said that she has been informed that prostitution has surfaced in the Public Rental Board flats. FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali says the Minister should back her broad public statements with evidence and data, and not just shame women for being involved in prostitution. Ali says these are wild allegations and can have devastating impacts on women who are already marginalized and live in the low-income flats. She says it would have been appropriate for the Minister to understand the complexity of the problem, visit the women living in the area and raise awareness, instead of grandstanding in the media. Ali says now that the issue has garnered public attention, women living in the area face the risks of being targeted, blamed, abused, humiliated, vilified or physically attacked. The Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator says Premila Kumar should understand that in most cases, prostitution is not a conscious and calculated choice. Ali says most women who become prostitutes do so because they were forced or coerced by a man, or, when it is an independent decision, it is generally the result of extreme poverty and lack of opportunity, or of serious underlying problems, such as drug addiction or trauma. She also says the Minister should first understand that prostitution is a form of exploitation of women and male dominance over women, resulting from the existing patriarchal societal order. Ali says that is where the Minister should divert her attention to – understanding the root cause of the problem and not create unnecessary panic and fear. She has urged national leaders to understand the implications their public statements could have on the lives of those who are already vulnerable in our society. We have sent the statement to Minister for Local Government, Premila Kumar. She says she will comment later. Hon Premila Kumar, Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Local Government, Housing and Community Development Honourable Members of Parliament I join the Hon. Prime Minister and colleagues in congratulating you, Madam Speaker, on your re-election to the very crucial position of the Speaker of this august House. I also wish to congratulate the Hon Prime Minister for ably leading FijiFirst for another term in Parliament. Madam Speaker, I feel humbled and very privileged to be part of this Parliament. I deeply acknowledge this opportunity given to me by the Honourable Prime Minister and leader of the FijiFirst Party. It is my pledge that I will serve this Government with dignity, dedication and honesty for the betterment of all our citizens. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be part of the 10 women Parliamentarians and note that this is the best representation of women in Parliament at any point in time in Fijian history. And more importantly, we have a distinguished lady as the Speaker of the House. This is a cause for celebration and I am sure our presence will inspire and encourage more women to take up leadership roles in their respective field of work. Madam Speaker, I joined FijiFirst because of its proven track record to deliver meaningful change to its people. It is a fact that FijiFirst Government under the leadership of our Hon. Prime Minister has achieved more for all Fijians than any other Government in Fiji’s history. I say this with conviction because I have worked as a civil servant under other Governments. We cannot build a nation based on racial divide, provincialism and religious chauvinism. Madam Speaker, my passion to serve Fiji and its people and the desire to play a more instrumental role in national affairs comes from FijiFirst’s mission, policies and initiatives to address important issues such as social justice, equal citizenry, a voice for the poor, disable and disadvantaged – to make a better Fiji for all and to ensure that no Fijian is left behind. Madam Speaker, I am committed to implement the FijiFirst Party’s manifesto and the policies to make Fiji a prosperous, progressive, tolerant and modern society where every Fiji citizen enjoys equal rights and opportunities to succeed in life and live in peace and harmony. Madam speaker, we can differ in ideologies and thought but let us get way from race, hate or religious vilification and work towards the betterment of Fiji, as a unified nation. As members of this august House, it is upon us to demonstrate maturity in our thinking, even if there are difference of opinions. It is our responsibility to ensure that we provide the correct information through this medium. Madam Speaker, a strong economy is predicated on confidence. This confidence can only be inculcated if the country provides stability and security, which will then drive the locals to invest and grow their businesses. Confidence by local private sector is a very strong signal and stimulator of foreign investment. The FijiFirst Government has provided that confidence. Madam Speaker, His Excellency, the President called on the Members of Parliament to work together to advance the national interest, reminding us that our first duty – above all others – is to keep the trust and confidence of those who believed in us. We represent Fijians – our power comes from their support – and I pledge to them my fullest dedication and service. Madam Speaker, the leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister has seen Fiji progress leaps and bounds. This is not something that we just say, it is supported by statistics. The consistent, stable and pro-growth policies and initiatives have led Fiji to 9 consecutive years of economic growth. Unemployment rate has been reduced to 4.5%, which is the lowest in 20 years. We have the lowest tax rates in Fiji’s history, all Fijians have access to education, 90% of the population have access to electricity. For the first time, Fiji is now considered to be an upper middle income country with per capita income of around $12,000, an important sign that all Fijians are benefitting from FijiFirst policies. Madam Speaker, for the nation to maintain the upward trajectory, the FijiFirst Government’s vision is to continue to build on the work that has been done and to provide new and innovative policies and initiatives. As the Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Local Government, Housing and Community Development, I intend to continue building on the impressive and considerable achievements of my predecessors, in order to increase investments, grow the Fijian economy and create the jobs that we all know are needed, especially for our young people. Madam Speaker, I am determined to make sure that more and more Fijians are included in and benefit from the growth of our nation’s economy. I believe in empowering grassroots communities and encouraging rural development to bring more people into the mainstream economy. I also believe that young Fijians, who are our future, need the right support and boost to harness their talents and ambitions. And we will continue to leverage our location in the region to explore the untapped trade and investment potentials and opportunities. As part of the Fijian Government’s initiative to stimulate employment and encourage young Fijians to become job creators rather than job seekers, the Government introduced the Young Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES). The YES is a unique initiative in itself as it is fully driven by the private sector. YES, since its inception, has attracted interest of young, budding entrepreneurs from all sectors. Through consultations and feedback received, YES will now also be open to those who are non-graduates. The eligibility age has increased to 40 years and grant amount to $30,000. I encourage our youth to take advantage of this programme. Madam Speaker, on the subject of policies that work, the fact that the tourism industry is reaching $2 billion, as mentioned by Hon. Gavoka, is entirely due to the forward-looking policies of the FijiFirst Government. This has seen the industry reach its revenue targets well in advance of projections in our tourism development plan, known as Fijian Tourism 2021. Madam Speaker, the FijiFirst Government recognises that we are an Island nation with limited resources and in order to grow tourism, we need to focus on sustainability and quality rather than quantity. Service charges, as suggested by Hon Gavoka, by tourism operators in some countries, is a band-aid solution for poor pay and working conditions of tourism workers in those countries. The Fijian tourism industry has addressed the issue of employee welfare directly, and our workers are well looked after. Madam Speaker, the Hon Member has this concept all wrong. The experience of other countries show that implementation of service charges does not guarantee improvement in service delivery but becomes a burden on the industry making it uncompetitive. Madam Speaker, the FijiFirst Government’s vision is to implement policies to grow our tourism industry and not suffocate it with poorly designed policies. Madam Speaker, the Opposition is critical of TELS programme. Let me tell them that in the past there was no option given by the state to allow parents to send their children to universities or tertiary institutions. One had to be born in a rich family or an influential family to get a scholarship, which was based on race and provincialism, or parents had to draw their FNPF. Madam speaker, TELS is not compulsory but allows Fijian youths to access tertiary education who don’t qualify for scholarship and have no funds. In the past, these youths would have missed out because of financial constraints, but now through TELS they are able to get tertiary education. How is TELS a burden, when it enables youth to obtain tertiary education? TELS is the most sustainable way of educating youths. They only start paying this loan once they are employed. Removal of TELS would either mean free university for all, which the Government cannot afford or going back to old days where parents had to take loan or withdraw their FNPF. There are only few countries in the world that provide free university education, where citizens in these countries pay high tax. The Fijian Government has created incentives for accelerated repayment of TELS. Early loan repayments are now heavily incentivised, giving TELS recipients the opportunity to have significant portion of their student debt paid off by Government. Madam Speaker, moving on, with my other portfolios, I will ensure that Local Government, as well as, the Housing and Community Development areas of my work are more service oriented and become more efficient. Madam Speaker, I have realised that becoming a politician requires great commitment to serve the people and my journey towards becoming a politician started when I worked as a consumer advocate. My love for politics came when I realised that it was the key to changing how I saw things and how I can make a difference. In this job, I interacted with people to solve their problems and attended to their needs. Of course, being a teacher and teacher trainer also kept me in touch with the people and as trade and investment facilitator it kept me in touch with the private sector. However, during the election campaign, it took me to the days almost three decades ago when I watched my father Late Mr Ram Karan campaigning with the leaders of his time. He used to make sheds for campaigns and offered his premises to the politicians he supported. My dad was a kava dealer—a business that my youngest brother, Sunil Karan continues to do. My father knew many people both on the two main islands and on the outer islands. I still remember in those days he used to visit Gau Island quite regularly as he was connected to the farmers in Qarani village. He bought kava from them and whenever they visited Suva they stayed at our home. He had then assisted people on the island, particularly in Qarani village and I remember two of Uncle Eroni’s children from the village stayed at our home and attended high school for a few years. My late father and my late mother – Mrs Ram Karan were both social workers. They played a big part in shaping my thinking and perhaps moulded me to serve the community and become a politician. My late mum has largely contributed to the building of a Mandir and Hall for residents living around Bureta Street. She worked tirelessly with women’s groups until her demise three years ago. Today, I pay tribute to my parents for the values they have instilled in me to become the person I am. My siblings, I being the eldest, have always supported me. My youngest brother who has continued with and expanded my father’s business supported me during my campaign. I thank him and all my siblings including Usha G- Fella for their assistance. Madam Speaker, let me now focus on my family. My husband, Jaindra has been my rock. He always supported me in my career and has fully backed my decision to enter politics. Without his support, I will not be here. My three children—Yamal, Eshmee and Shaman have always been steadfast in their support to me. I thank my family for the encouragement all along. Madam Speaker, relatives and friends play an important role in everyone’s life. I am very fortunate to have friends and family who have stood by me – their votes did count. There were also people unknown to me from all over Fiji who had come forward to support me and I wish to thank them most sincerely. Madam Speaker to conclude I wish to echo the words of His Excellency, the President, during the opening of Parliament “Unfortunately, elections are also about differences, because each party seeks to distinguish itself from the other. But now that the campaigning is done, we must come together to govern for the benefit of all the people. There will be disagreements, of course, but we are civilised people, and we can manage those disagreements with civility and respect, keeping before us the ideal that we are elected to solve problems and improve life for every Fijian”. To my colleagues and Honourable Members of this Parliament, we must remind ourselves that we all have obligations to move this country forward and build a nation that our children and grandchildren will be proud of.