Public-private partnership vital to protect environment: Fijian official

The Fijian government stressed on Monday the importance of partnership between public and private sectors to protect environment.

Speaking at the National Environment Council Meeting here on Monday, Fiji's Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy said that protecting and leaving a safer environment for a future generation will be attained through a collaboration with public-private partnership involvement to deliver the common environmental vision.

"Collaboration extends beyond the government itself which include the roles played by the communities and the private sector in managing and planning for Fiji's future environmental outcomes," he said.

"A collaborative partnerships will allow synergies, reduce timeframes and resources directly proportional to the level of collaboration as it removes duplication and brings targets closer to achieve it successfully, efficiently and much faster."

"We are in challenging times as we try to balance the need for economic development and the need for saving our environment; thus the need to achieve sustainable development in every aspect of the work we carry out in our respective fields," he said.