Driving the Public Debate: A contribution to Fiji

The Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji and Minister of Finance, Planning and Statistics Professor Biman Prasad recently launched four community education books authored by The Cairns Institute Adjunct Professor Wadan Nursey on 5th October at The University of South Pacific (USP).

Professor Prasad stated, “When our PAP/NFP/SODELPA Coalition Government took office on Christmas Eve last year, we inherited some serious economic and social challenges. Some of our economic policies have meant difficult choices for us. This is why we need public dialogue and debate. Professor Wadan Narsey’s books, which we are launching today, are a record of some of the most important contributions in the last 30 years to Fiji’s public debate. He taught at the University of the South Pacific from 1973 until 2011 when the former Government applied financial pressure on USP to force him out. Professor Narsey also worked in the region as a consultant for donor governments, regional organizations and NGOs like ECREA and FWRM and he brings a wealth of knowledge to his writings, backed by solid statistics.”

He continued to say “All university professors write, and many publish books, but no university professor in the history of Fiji has contributed so much to public debate as Professor Narsey.”

“He has written about Fiji’s growth possibilities: industries such as improving markets for agriculture, the SME tourism hotel chain, retirement homes, the outsourcing industry and value adding from timber. These are all industries we are pursuing and promoting today. He advocated for participation by Pacific Nations in Super Rugby twenty years ago and this is now coming to fruition now with the Drua and Fijiana. He also advocated for increased labour mobility in the Pacific. This too is now happening, with significant increases in remittance income – even if it now presents us new challenges in retaining scarce skills. He has long advocated for a united Pacific Community. This is at the top of my agenda also, as we urge visa free travel to Australia and New Zealand as part of greater economic integration with those countries.