Shymal Kumar
Fiji’s Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Agni Deo Singh, passed away in Brisbane yesterday (12 September 2026).
Prime Minister and Chair of the Coalition Cabinet Sitiveni Rabuka announced the death on the official Facebook page of the Fiji Government.
Prime Minister Rabuka extended his deepest condolences to Singh’s family, loved ones, colleagues and friends during this difficult time. He also acknowledged Singh’s dedicated service to the workers and people of Fiji and his invaluable contribution to the Government and the nation.
Under the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership, Agni Deo Singh, together with representatives from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), had been visiting Fijian workers participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and engaging with their employers in Australia.
The delegation met Fijian PALM workers employed at Australian Country Choice (ACC) in Brisbane and held discussions with company and labour-hire representatives. Singh acknowledged ACC for providing employment opportunities to Fijian workers and welcomed feedback from the workers.
Singh also commended JBS Australia for its commitment to worker welfare and wellbeing under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme during a site visit and engagement in Brisbane.
The minister also welcomed JBS Australia’s strong commitment to transparency in wages and deductions.
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Alitia Bainivalu also posted a tribute to Singh on her Facebook page.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my colleague, the late Agni Deo Singh. As a fellow member of the Coalition Government, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, colleagues, friends, and to the many workers across Fiji who knew and respected him,” she said.
Bainivalu added that Singh served Fiji as Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations from 2023 to 2026, at a time when important decisions were being made for the welfare and dignity of workers.
“His legacy will not only be remembered in Parliament or in Government records. It will be remembered in the lives of ordinary working people.”
In 2024, Fiji’s national minimum wage increased from $4 to $4.50 an hour, followed by a further increase to $5 an hour in 2025.
In 2024, the full 18% FNPF contribution was restored, strengthening workers’ retirement savings and providing greater protection for their future.
In 2024, the long-running dispute involving 368 Vatukoula mine workers finally reached a historic settlement. The $9.2 million settlement provided $25,000 to each worker, bringing an end to a matter that had remained unresolved for more than three decades, Bainivalu said.
She added that during Singh’s time in the Employment Ministry, workers’ rights were also strengthened, including the restoration of freedom of association, greater engagement between the Government, employers and unions, and stronger attention to workplace grievances, wages and employment conditions.
Bainivalu said that while politicians’ time in office is temporary, the policies they help put in place and the lives they touch can leave a lasting legacy.
“Today, we mourn a colleague and a fellow servant of the people. To his family, may you find strength and comfort during this difficult time.
“And to the workers of Fiji, may you continue to remember the contribution that Agni Deo Singh made to improving the lives and rights of working people. Vinaka vakalevu, Agni Deo Singh, for your service to Fiji and to our workers.”
The Fiji Government’s Facebook post said further details regarding funeral arrangements and other official matters would be communicated in due course.
The Government has respectfully asked members of the public and the media to respect the privacy of Singh’s family during this time of mourning.
Contributing Author: Shymal Kumar is a final-year journalism student at the University of the South Pacific, undertaking his journalism internship with The Australia Today.
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