The Attorney-General and Minister for Industry and Trade, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (fifth left) with from left: Investment Fiji chairman, Truman Bradley, deputy secretary industry and business development, Maciu Lumelume, our High Commissioner to India, Yogesh Karan, Permanent Secretary for Industry and Trade, Shaheen Ali with Mauritius Minister for Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Sayyad Abd-Al-Cader Sayed and the rest of the Mauritius delegates in Bangalore, India. Photo: MINFO NEWS
Agreement being finalised to strengthen co-operation
By RACHNA LAL
Fiji and Mauritius have agreed to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two Governments to allow close co-operation in terms of investment.
This would be between Investment Fiji and the Mauritian Bureau of Investment.
The decision was made following our Attorney-General and Minister for Industry and Trade Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s meeting with the Mauritian Minister for Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Sayyad Abd-Al-Cader Sayed.
The meeting took place on Monday in Bangalore, India, on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit 2014.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the meeting would enable both countries to develop relations between their respective Government agencies and encourage mutually beneficial opportunities.
“The MOU will facilitate close collaboration between Fiji and Mauritius in facilitating investments and will drastically improve the ease of doing business,” he said.
Other possibilities
Both Ministers also explored the possibility of enhancing co-operation and collaboration within the sugar and tourism sectors.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum mentioned Mauritius had already developed and implemented its restructure programme over the past two decades.
“Since both Mauritius and Fiji have similar demographics, the possibility of working with Mauritius is encouraging,” he said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the Fijian Government had embarked on its own comprehensive set of political and socioeconomic reforms, which were bearing fruit.
“The aim is to ensure sustainability and consistency of policy in order to make a difference to the lives of ordinary Fijians,” he said.
Brief on Fiji’s progress
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum briefed his counterpart on Fiji’s path to democracy, underscoring the assent to Fiji’s new Constitution on September 7 and the preparations for the up-coming election, to be held by the end of September.
The Minister from Mauritius conveyed his congratulations to the Fijian Government for the “substantial and progressive” steps taken to develop Fiji, which would culminate in democratic elections that will take place this year.
The meeting ended with both Ministers agreeing to finalise the memorandum of understanding on investment co-operation and to develop bilateral relations further.