Girmit Day and Ratu Sukuna Day to be public holidays

Girmit Day and Ratu Sukuna Day will be official public holidays in 2023.

While speaking during his inaugural address to the nation, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says some months ago, he pledged to legislate for a Girmit Day public holiday to honour the settlers from India who began arriving here in 1879.

He says they were starting a new life in an unknown land and stayed to become an integral part of our country.

Rabuka says he reconfirms his promise to inaugurate the new national holiday in 2023.

He adds for reasons that are unclear, the former government decided to scrap the national holiday marking the life and achievements of our great chief and statesman, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.

The Prime Minister says they will reinstate Ratu Sukuna Day.

He says the monumental work of this illustrious traditional leader on land reform has had a continuing beneficial effect on the landowners, the economy, the sugar industry, business and investment.