A leading shipping company is calling on the government to accelerate the processing of work permits for foreign employees, citing that current delays are severely impacting maritime operations and inter-island transport. During a presentation to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, George Goundar, Managing Director of Goundar Shipping, emphasized that foreign crew members frequently endure prolonged waiting periods for their work permit approvals, which can stretch to months.
Goundar highlighted the repercussions of these delays, explaining that they lead to understaffed vessels, reduce operational efficiency, and impose considerable financial and logistical burdens on local businesses. He noted a specific instance where 32 foreign workers were removed from a ship overnight due to permit complications, thereby compromising the company’s operational capabilities.
He further elaborated on the challenges faced by the shipping sector in Fiji. “Sometimes the workers have gone back after their one-year contract. They go back, then the approval comes. So that’s what we’re lacking in Fiji: putting documents forward to the government to vet them so we can get employees to work in Fiji. That’s a nightmare for us at the moment,” Goundar remarked.
Goundar also criticized the current legal framework that often requires companies to apply land-based labor laws to maritime employees, stressing the necessity for a specialized regulatory structure that caters specifically to the distinct needs of maritime employment. He shared an example where three Bangladeshi workers have been waiting five months for a work permit contract, despite being issued a three-year work permit.
In response to these urgent concerns, the Economic Affairs Committee has acknowledged the issues brought forth by industry representatives and committed to discussing the matter with relevant agencies. The hope is that addressing these work permit delays will help stabilize operations in the maritime sector and support businesses in navigating their workforce challenges more effectively.