21 Jul 2010

Fiji's export numbers diminish below true potential - interim Attorney General

10:49 am on 21 July 2010

Fiji's interim Attorney General and Minister for Trade and Industry says Fiji's export numbers are diminishing and are well below their true potential.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made the comments while speaking at the launching os the Prime Minister's Exporter of the Year Awards.

Fiji Live reports Mr Sayed-Khaiyum as saying combined with the increasing cost of imports, the result has been been pressure on Fiji's foreign reserves.

He says Fiji's export performance has also been affected by the decrease in consumption expenditure in most trading partner countries because of the global financial crisis, contributing to an 11 percent decrease in the volume of trade in 2009.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji is at a huge disadvantage because of its relatively narrow export base, made up of traditional exports like sugar, gold, timber, fish, garments, molasses and coconut oil.