Suva, Apr 18 (IANS): Nearly eight per cent, or around 80,000 Fijians, have left the island nation in the last 18 months, with many having significant technical training and experience, said Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Biman Prasad on Thursday.

Prasad added that the skill loss is a major concern for employers and investors, adding that even the Finance Ministry has lost nearly a quarter of its professional staff as well, reported Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

However, he said people cannot be blamed for seeking out better lives and looking for more secure health and better educational opportunities for their children, Xinhua news agency reported.

Prasad added that they continue to work on streamlining the processes in the regulatory agencies.

The work is challenging and time-consuming, and the government is burdened with regulatory processes that are decades old, he said.

According to Prasad, the Fijian government has its own skill shortages across the board, which is hampering the delivery of urgent public capital investment.