Atlas in Fiji

An interview in Monday's Fiji Times with the new chairman of the Fiji Trade and Investment Bureau, Sir James Ah Koy, suggests there may be hope for Fiji yet.

"If anyone can deliver us out of the situation we're in, he can," said Interim Commerce Minister Taito Waradi in confirming the appointment of Ah Koy.

Sir James said his acceptance of the invitation was based on selfish motives and an interest in national preservation. He said his renewed role at the FTIB was primarily to maintain and protect the present and future and help attract more new investments to Fiji. "The economy is going bad for the present, there is no doubt about it."But this is not a time for Atlas to shrug," Sir James said. He said he was referring to the philosopher Ayn Rand's classic novel Atlas Shrugged. Sir James said those with talent and know-how must not evade their responsibilities and leave the nation to those who did not know what they were doing. "Now is not the time to desert our investments and head for the hills, as Ayn Rand depicted in her novel Atlas Shrugged.

Perhaps Taito Waradi is right: ""If anyone can deliver us out of the situation we're in, he can. He totally fit the bill perfectly."