Suva-Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama today re-emphasised the importance of working together to recover our economy during these trying times.
While officiating as Chief Guest at the Chinese New Year celebration, he said the event is a time for optimism.
“The past year has been catastrophic around the globe. It completely upended our sense of reality, it crushed some well-laid plans and it has cost us dearly in human life and in the economic gains we had steadily been making, but it has not defeated us,” Prime Minister Bainimarama said.
Marked as the Year of the Ox in the Chinese calendar, the Prime Minister said that this is a year that will be marked by those qualities we associate with the ox which are steadfastness, strength, hard work and perseverance.
“Oxen work best in teams and we will all need to pull together and work together as we rebuild our economy.
“The vaccines we need are coming out of the laboratories and into the manufacturing phase.
“Many are already being administered, and we are making sure that Fiji will get its fair share and be able to vaccinate our people as soon as possible,” he said.
“We also want to ensure that Fiji is stronger and safer when we open up our borders, and that our people are not left behind from the world’s recovery.”
The Head of Government, at the event, also stressed the importance of respecting and recognising the diverse cultures we have here in Fiji.
“Our Chinese community in Fiji are not others, they are Fijians. We are also one community of Fijians, and we draw together to appreciate each other, to help each other recover from storms or sickness, and to build a truly great and tolerant democracy,” he added.
“Chinese New Year is a time to reflect on the events of the past year and it’s an opportunity to look forward to a better future.
“Here in Fiji, we are all interconnected in trade, in the need to be good stewards of the environment and our Pacific Ocean, in the need to fight international crime, and in many other ways.”
The event at Yat Sen School Hall was attended by the members of the Chinese community and some invited guests.
The Chinese community in Fiji also presented a cheque of $15,000 towards the Prime Minister’s Cyclone Relief Fund today.
