The announcement by Tourism and Trade Minister Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum came after a report in The Economist that suggested Fiji may be interested in entering the gambling market. Sayed Khaiyum said that the deadline was made both in the hopes of getting quicker results from international developers, and to give Fijian governmental officials time to look into the track records of any potential partners on the project.
However, not all of Fiji’s citizens are celebrating this move. Fiji’s National Council of Women has come out strongly against the casino, citing concerns about the potential exploitation of women and children in the sex trade. While these problems already exist, the Council said that they fear a casino in Fiji may only serve to make the problem worse.