The Minister of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, Honourable Tomasi Tunabuna, in concurrence with the Honourable Prime Minister, has appointed Mr. Marika Sedre Luveniyali as new Chairman of the Sugar Cane Growers Fund (SCGF), for a term of three years, effective 24 April 2026.
Mr. Luveniyali holds a Master of Business Administration, a Postgraduate Certificate in Finance, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Administration from the University of the South Pacific. He brings extensive senior leadership experience in the public sector, having previously served as Deputy Secretary – Administration and Finance at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Acting Deputy Secretary at the National Planning Office within the Ministry of Finance. Earlier in his career, he held the role of Assistant Manager – Commercial Loans Scheme at the Fiji Development Bank.
In addition, Mr. Luveniyali has also contributed to governance and financial management through his role as Board Secretary of Lako Yani Company, and as Manager Finance & Corporate Services at the St. John Association of Fiji.
The Ministry is confident that Mr. Luveniyali’s strong leadership, combined with his extensive expertise in finance, economics, and strategic planning, will further strengthen the operations of the SCGF and support its mandate in addressing sector challenges and opportunities.
The Ministry also acknowledges and expresses its sincere appreciation to the outgoing Chairman, Mr. Ahemad Bhamji, for his significant contributions to the SCGF. Under his leadership, loan accessibility was enhanced through a reduction in interest rates from 6 percent to 3.95 percent.