Opposition MP Jone Usamate has warned that government welfare must be carefully balanced so it supports vulnerable people without discouraging them from seeking work, while highlighting a growing reliance by some employers on foreign labour to fill local job vacancies.
In an interview on unemployment, Usamate said assistance programmes are necessary but risk weakening people’s motivation to work. “I think sometimes maybe people are getting all kinds of assistance from government that makes them a bit lazy,” he said, urging caution in how support is delivered. He stressed that tackling unemployment will require cooperation from the government, communities and traditional leaders to encourage more people to take up available jobs. “We want all our people to work and reduce unemployment,” he added.
Usamate also pointed to a trend among some employers who are turning to foreign workers to meet labour needs. He said businesses view these workers as more reliable in terms of attendance and work commitment, noting workers from countries such as Bangladesh are being employed at the same wage rates as local staff. “If the normal wage rate for a bus driver is six dollars, they get that money here,” he said, stressing the issue, in his view, is not about paying foreign workers less.
The MP warned that moves to raise the statutory minimum wage could place additional pressure on businesses and translate into higher prices for goods and services. “Once you increase the minimum wage, companies will have to increase the cost of the things they sell so that has its own complications,” Usamate said, framing minimum-wage adjustments as a trade-off between protecting low-income workers and broader economic effects that could hurt consumers and employers.
Usamate’s comments arrive against a backdrop of fiscal constraint flagged repeatedly by government officials in recent months. In pre-budget messaging ahead of the 2024–25 National Budget, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad warned of limited fiscal space, pointing to high national debt and the need to prioritise essential spending. That context, Usamate suggested, makes it more important to design welfare and labour policies that do not expand long-term dependency or unduly burden businesses.
The remarks bring into focus an ongoing policy debate over how best to reduce youth unemployment and whether current welfare settings, minimum-wage policy and the use of foreign labour are serving national interests. Usamate called for a collaborative approach among policymakers, community leaders and employers to address unemployment, avoid unintended consequences of well-meaning assistance, and ensure jobs go to Fijians where possible.
No immediate response from the government was recorded in the interview. Usamate’s intervention is likely to feature in discussions around the budget and labour policy as officials balance social protection needs with economic pressures ahead of upcoming fiscal decisions.
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