SUVA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- About 8 percent, or around 80,000 Fijians, have left the island nation in the last 18 months, with many having significant technical training and experience, said Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad on Thursday.

Prasad said the skill loss is a major concern for employers and investors, adding that even the Finance Ministry has lost nearly a quarter of its professional staff as well, reported Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

However, he said people cannot be blamed for seeking out better lives and looking for more secure health and better educational opportunities for their children.

Prasad said they continue to work on streamlining the processes in the regulatory agencies.

The work is challenging and time-consuming, and the government is burdened with regulatory processes that are decades old, he added.

According to Prasad, the Fijian government has its own skill shortages across the board, which is hampering the delivery of urgent public capital investment. Enditem

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