Marika Sedre Luveniyali was formally welcomed today as the new chairman of the Sugar Cane Growers Fund (SCGF), replacing Ahmed Bhamji in what SCGF and industry observers are calling the first major leadership change to a sugar-sector body under the current Minister for Sugar. A ceremony at the Fund’s headquarters brought together board members, management, staff and growers to mark the handover.
Luveniyali arrives with a background in business, economics and public administration. He holds qualifications in Business and Economics from the University of the South Pacific and has held senior posts in the Ministries of Finance and Health, as well as leadership roles with the St John Association of Fiji. His governance experience includes board appointments with Tourism Fiji, the Unit Trust of Fiji and Air Terminal Services.
The Fund paid tribute to outgoing chairman Ahmed Bhamji, thanking him for his service during his tenure. SCGF officials said the change in leadership is part of routine board renewal and emphasised continuity of the Fund’s core mandate to support sugarcane growers across Fiji.
At the welcome ceremony, SCGF reiterated its commitment to improving support services and advancing the interests of growers as the industry continues to face economic and structural challenges. The move comes against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of the sugar sector in recent months, during which farmers and some industry voices have called for greater transparency, clearer recovery plans and independent reviews to help revive production and incomes.
Government and industry watchers say the appointment of a chairman with extensive public-sector finance and governance experience could signal a renewed focus on administrative strengthening and stakeholder engagement at the Fund. While the SCGF statement stressed steadiness in service delivery, analysts expect attention to follow on how the new chair will address operational matters such as disbursement of grower services, project prioritisation and coordination with mills and the Ministry.
Luveniyali formally takes on the role immediately and will work with the SCGF board, management and grower representatives as the Fund implements its forthcoming programmes. The appointment will be monitored by growers and policymakers alike for indications of any shifts in strategy or priority as the sector seeks to stabilise and rebuild.