The Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh has praised the newly announced minimum wage, comparing the last government’s failure to raise the wage rate, in the past.

Speaking in Parliament Singh says it takes a lot of commitment to raise the minimum wage rate by 25 percent, in this new budget.

“It took the previous government five years to increase the minimum wage rate from $2.68 to $4.00. Our government has taken two years to increase it by 25 percent”, Singh said.

“The 10 sectorial wages will also be increased by the same amount”, he added.

He says one of the highlights of the new budget is the payment of 9.2 million dollars towards the Vatukoula Mine strike, and each of the 368 mining workers – will be paid $25,000 dollars.

“We have meaningfully touched the lives of 368 families in Vatukoula who were affected by the 1991 strike. We’re all aware that they will be paid $10,000 in the coming budget, and then $10,000 in the following year”, Singh said.