15 Oct 2013

Smaller Fiji businesses expected to struggle with minimum wage

10:59 pm on 15 October 2013

The vice-president of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce, Humphrey Chang, says small to medium sized businesses may struggle with a national minimum wage.

It's been proposed that the minimum national wage be set at $2 dollars 32 cents Fijian an hour.

Mr Chang, says he expects larger businesses will be able to cope with a national minimum wage but small businesses may not fare as well.

"Now the SMEs or the small timers will not be able to go along this line, because at the moment they may be paying say, 80 or 90 dollars a week kind of thing, but the $2.32 takes it up to about 112 or so dollars a week, and they may feel the pinch in that area."

Humphrey Chang also says new school leavers looking to gain experience in the workforce may find getting a job more difficult if a minimum wage is imposed.