Opposition Member of Parliament Jone Usamate

Opposition Member of Parliament Jone Usamate has emphasized the importance of safety and security in the maritime sector especially through the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership.

He made the comments in Parliament today, in response to the government’s visit to the International Maritime Organization in the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization during his recent visit to the UK.

Usamate says the meet was vital in the continuation of the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership to ensure Fiji achieves the net zero emission target by 2050.

Fiji in collaboration with its neighbors established the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership to lead the transformation of the maritime sector.

Usamate says Fiji and its partners seeks assistance to advance the initiative.

“I think the amount of money that is being talked about in this project is $500 million, half a billion dollars. We hope the government can continue to work very closely with the IMO to get that money into the Pacific so we can upgrade our ships. We know we’ve had a lot of problems with shipping in our country, and we are in a better state than a lot of those other countries.”

Usamate says Fiji anticipates the establishment of an IMO office in the country, which allows people to easily partake in the decarbonization of fleets.

The Member of Parliament says it is not an easy task, but acknowledges the government’s effort to continue the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership.

Fiji and its neighbors have agreed to reduce fossil fuel use in domestic shipping by 40 percent in 2030, 80 percent by 2040 and 100 percent by 2050.