In a session held by the Standing Committee on Justice, Law, and Human Rights, Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh, presented his views on the Sugar Industry (Amendment) Bill (Bill No. 23 of 2024). He addressed concerns surrounding the potential implementation of elections within the sugar industry. The bill has drawn mixed reactions from communities within the sugar industry. Some welcomed the idea of elections, some were skeptical, while some feared that the issue could be politicised and affected existing structures. Mr Singh recalled his own experiences as an elected Member of Parliament where he visited sugarcane growing regions. “The first question I got from almost everyone was, ‘When are we going to have elections?” he said. Mr Singh said the elections would be held because of the need for accountability and transparency within the sugar industry. Board underperformance A key point Mr Singh raised was the underperformance of the current board members, who, in his view failed to engage directly with farmers. “I’m not happy with them,” Mr Singh said, critiquing the board for not addressing farmers’ concerns. He argued that through elections, local representatives would be able to engage with the farming community and foster solutions to issues that hindered productivity. During the meeting, committee members raised concerns against political interference. Some worry that introducing elections could create divisions within cooperatives and impact their unity and productivity. Responding to these fears, Mr Singh acknowledged the inevitability of politics in any system but insisted on creating guidelines to prevent political affiliations. “If any candidate stands, they will not have a tag, per se, to say that I’m from a particular organisation representing this team,” Mr Singh said. Differences Mr Singh pointed out the rivalry between the Farmers’ Union and the Green Growth Association during the 1990s. He said it illustrated the challenges that political competition posed to the industry’s cohesion. To mitigate these risks, Mr Singh proposed that election candidates should contest as independents without formal ties to a political organisation, although personal alignments may exist behind the scene. Another key issue raised was the structure of the Sugarcane Council and the Sugar Industry Board. Concerns were voiced about the role of the board in the current structure, with some questioning whether the board is still necessary given the relatively small number of councillors. Mr Singh defended the board, explaining that having a board with representatives from each sector allowed for more effective decision-making. However, he said that the council, with its 38 representatives, might struggle to reach consensus without a refined system for addressing individual district Feedback: sosiveti.korobiau@fijisun.com.fj