Two new directors have been appointed to the Fiji National Provident Fund Board by the Minister for Finance – veteran trade unionist Attar Singh and business executive Joe Taoi.
The appointments are in accordance with Section 7 of the FNPF Act and follows a fit and proper assessment by the Reserve Bank of Fiji.
Mr. Singh brings with him more than 35 years of experience as a trade unionist, having represented workers from various organizations. He has previously served on various boards tasked with upholding workers’ rights as well as their occupational health and safety. He is currently the assistant national secretary for the Fiji Trade Unions Congress.
Mr. Taoi has 30 years of experience in international shipping, warehouse & distribution, supply chain management and trade facilitation. He established Freight Services Fiji and was instrumental in the establishment of the Fiji Indigenous Business Council, of which he is still a board member. He was also instrumental in the planning, design and establishment of the Fiji Export Council and was the board chairperson from 2004 to 2015.
Mr. Singh and Mr. Taoi officially joined the Fund as Board Directors on 22 February 2023.
“We are excited about the appointment of Mr Singh and Mr Taoi to the Board and with the vast experience they bring with them in their own fields, I am optimistic that they will contribute productively from an employer and employee perspective”, says Board Chairman Daksesh Patel.
The new directors replace businessman, Mr Sanjay Kaba and Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Chief Executive Officer Mr Joel Abraham, who have resigned from the board.
The FNPF Board acknowledges the contribution of Mr. Kaba and Mr. Abraham during their tenure as board directors and wishes them well in their future endeavors.
Mr Singh and Mr Taoi now join Mr Patel, Mr Mukhtar Ali, Ms Kalpana Lal and Mr Shiri Gounder as members of the FNPF Board.
About Mr. Attar Singh
Attar Singh – is the current Assistant National Secretary for the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) and General Secretary for the Fiji Longshoremen & Staff Association. He is also the current Industrial Relations advisor to the National Union of Municipal Workers and Fiji Airlines Pilots Association. Mr Singh currently serves as board member on the National Occupational Safety & Health Advisory and the Employment Relations Advisory boards.
He was the General Secretary of the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions for over 15 years and President of the Fiji Cane Growers Association for 17 years.
He has previously held international union positions on the Asia Pacific Executive Board (Singapore), Uni Global Union (Geneva) and the International Transport Workers Federation.
Mr Singh begun his professional career in aircraft engineering in 1978, obtained a private pilot’s license in New Zealand in 1980, his aircraft maintenance engineer’s license in 1983 from CAAF, Fiji before pursuing qualification and a career in industrial relations in 1993 of which he has been an advocator of employee rights and welfare, to date.
About Mr Joe Taoi
Joe Taoi – is an industry expert who has 30 years of experience in the international shipping, warehouse & distribution, supply chain management and trade facilitation advisor. His career commenced as a management cadet
for Burns Phillip, not long thereafter, was appointed as the Country Manager for the internationally renowned company DHL.
In 1995, Mr Taoi established Freight Services (Fiji), a family owned logistic & moving company. Freight Services (Fiji) is ISO 9001:2015 certified and offers a suite of services that includes being a licensed international freight forwarder, bonded transit depot, third party fulfillment center and a licensed customhouse broker. Mr Taoi was a member of various boards relevant and crucial to export trade, financial and private sector development in Fiji.
He was actively involved in the establishment and is a board member of the Fiji Indigenous Business Council – a forum that encourages I-taukei participation in commerce via mainstream engagement and lobbying; he was the Secretary to the Textile Clothing & Footwear Council of Fiji (TCF).
Mr Taoi was the former President for the Fiji Papua New Guinea Business Council, and member of the boards for the Fiji New Zealand Business Council and Merchant Finance Limited from 2013 to 2016. Mr Taoi is fluent with the International Trade Facilitation & Investment Fiji and the Pacific Region. He was a past President of Rotary Club of Suva and the current Board Chair of the Raiwaqa Health Centre.
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