SUVA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Transport industry plays an important role in Fiji's economic and social development, a Fijian government minister said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a national transport consultative forum in Suva, capital of Fiji, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Disaster Management and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate said the Fijian government recognizes the importance of the transport sector, which contributes about 8 percent towards Fiji's GDP, enabling development, linking people, connecting local communities to the world, building markets and facilitating trade.
Usamate said the the Fijian government has very clearly set the priorities and the direction that Fijians must take in addressing the blue and green economies.
"In this way, and as important stakeholders of the transport industry, we must be proactive in identifying and building core areas where infrastructure must be uplifted to set the stage for our nation's development," he said.
"Fiji's transport industry has grown, matured in the past years and plays a vital role in Fiji's economic and social development and is relatively developed when compared to other developing countries with similar geographical size."
The objective of the biannual consultative forum is to bring together all relevant stakeholders in the transport industry and dialogue on issues that needs to be addressed in order to ensure that the transport industry remains the enabler for economic growth.