an businessman who has served as President of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is known as a strong proponent of free enterprise
. He has also been outspoken in his calls for moral values to be upheld in business, politics, and society. On 8 January 2007 he resigned the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to take up the position of Minister for Commerce in the interim Cabinet
of Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
.
On 22 May 2005, Waradi called for the deregulation of the telecommunication market, to allow the market to dictate prices.
On 18 May 2005, Waradi spoke out about the Fijian government's controversial proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission
, with the power to recommend amnesty for perpetrators of the coup d'état
that rocked Fiji in 2000, as well as compensation for its victims. Among the strident comments both for and against the proposal, Waradi has taken a moderate stance, supporting the principle of reconciliation, but considering that legislating to establish the commission was not the right way to achieve it.
"There are two sides to reconciliation; the law aspect and the moral values. Unless there is improvement for both, changes will not come by easily." (15 May 2000)
"No amount of legislation can guarantee lasting peace and stability if the people it is supposed to serve are not spiritually and emotionally prepared to live by them (moral values) and where necessary defend them with their lives when it is breached." (18 May 2000)
"Basic moral values must therefore first be internalised in the hearts and minds of its people before we can hope to enforce legislation reflecting these values. We cannot begin to observe man-made laws if we do not have any moral values to start off with in the first place." (18 May 2000)