The President of the Fiji India Business Council, Swani Maharaj, says that while the gap between rich and poor is widening as the cost of living rises, there is not much the private sector can do because it too is suffering.
Mr Maharaj was responding to comments made by Father Kevin Barr, who says that business interests are being showered with all sorts of incentives while workers wages are kept low and poverty and inequality increases.
Mr Maharaj questions how much the private sector can do as it is also suffering the effects of the worldwide economic downturn.
He says one way to alleviate the burden would be for people to plant their own crops to live off.
"We are encouraging the people to plant their own fresh vegetables and fruits and encouraging the farmers to do multi-cropping with the sugar cane planting which should help, but the problem now is that a lot of people are getting out of farms and not willing to work in their backyard, they just earn wages and do a living from that, that's an unfortunate part."
The President of the Fiji India Business Council, Swani Maharaj.