Coup 4.5 Breaking News CONFIRMED

Bainimarama's illegal and treasonous boys are indeed out there in Rakiraki laying down the jungle law.

It is unclear from this "media" report whether they are protecting Fiji Water's interests (as previous employees) OR Bainimarama's.

Curiouser and Curiouser.

HomeLink secures Fiji Water factory
Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Private security firm – HomeLink Security is currently protecting the Fiji Water factory in Yaqara, Rakiraki after the facility was shut down yesterday.

HomeLink – which is mostly made up of former soldiers and military officers – has been providing security services for Fiji Water for over a year now.

Fiji Water shut down its factory and sent home over 400 workers yesterday after a dispute with government over a 15% Water Resource Tax.

The company reportedly told employees they will see government’s response over the next two days before deciding what further action to take.

The workers have been promised two weeks pay. 

"Cablegate" and Fiji

With the news that Wikileaks busting the US's intelligence abilities wide open, questions have arisen about how Fiji will feature in these internal diplomatic cables.

Some of them concerning Fiji are beginning to already see the light of day.

Check it out here (thanks to Norightturn). 

We're guessing that the latest developments with Fiji Water are probably burning up the backup cable facilities.

Breaking...

Coup 4.5 blog reports that the military are heading out to the Fiji Water Factory now to man the complex for 2 weeks or so.

Read it here.

Bainimarama Plays Chicken With Fiji Water

The tit for tat war of words via the media continues.

Bainimarama lay's down his law of the jungle and Fiji Water announces that they will give the illegal and treasonous Bainimarama posse two days.

Despite Bainimarama's statement over-confident assertions that "new investment inflows and interest is indicative of the affirmation of and confidence in Fiji and the Fijian economy by the private sector" the global media begins to remind the world otherwise, with a reality check.

But in this game of "chicken", its We The People who will have to live with, and pay for the consequences of Bainimarama's testosterone-induced decisions based on brawn rather than brain.

Killing the last vestiges of foreign exchange earners at this time is a no-brainer not the best of ideas. Primarily when the VAT hikes, it is whispered, were instituted to stave off another devaluation.

The Central Bank sans the illegal and treasonous holiday-maker Sada Reddy mobilizes into action while trying very hard to keep up with appearances that everything is hunky-dory.

Central Bank Chief "On Holiday"

While the sky is falling on all things fiscal in Fiji, the Central Bank chief is "on holiday" -- a much questioned absence that was also picked up by "the media" during the recent budget hoo-ha, who laid it down as follows:

A notable absence was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Sada Reddy. FBC News was informed that Mr. Reddy is on leave.

Saturday's Fiji Times has his absence (and the alleged reasons for his absence) as follows:

Briefs
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Local News in Brief

Governor on 'holiday'
RESERVE Bank of Fiji governor Sada Reddy is on holiday with his family in New Zealand, deputy governor Barry Whiteside said. Mr Whiteside, however, would not confirm nor deny claims that the central bank was investigating allegations that Mr Reddy transferred a hefty sum of money into his bank account in New Zealand. "That is the truth, Mr Reddy is on holiday. Everyone is entitled to take leave and he is taking leave with his family in NZ," said Mr Whiteside. Asked about the investigations, he responded: "I prefer not to answer those questions, it is more personal. At this time, I can't answer those questions."

Bainimarama Slams Fiji Water

So. The illegal and treasonous military regime lay their cards on the table.

They already have someone/s in mind waiting to take-over from Fiji Water. 

Prepare for battle Bainimarama & Co -- you don't f*** around with the big ol' US of A. Already you're in the cross-hairs of Time Mag, New York Observer and of course Mother Jones.

We're thinking retaliation targetting the much protected tourism industry and trade dispute haul-ups to the WTO (protectionism much Punjas?) will be rolled out in due course.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Minfonews" <news@info.gov.fj>

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:02:30 +1300

To: Minfonews<news@info.gov.fj>

Subject: PRIME MINISTER ON FIJI WATER CLOSURE

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
MEDIA RELEASE

(Monday, November 30th, 2010, No:2032 /PMO)

PRIME MINISTER ON FIJI WATER CLOSURE

In response to the media statement by Fiji Water, the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama  has said that, ‘The Fiji Government  remains firmly committed to both international and local investment in Fiji. However, if Fiji Water no longer wants to operate in Fiji, it must inform the Director of Lands and Yaqara Pastoral Company Limited from whom Fiji Water has leased lands.”

The Prime Minister said that “as usual Fiji Water has adopted tactics that demonstrate that Fiji Water does not care about Fiji or Fijians. They have made statements about supposed instability in Fiji and know it is not true, yet do so because they simply do not want to pay the new taxes.”

The Prime Minister  said that “Fiji Water has had a corporate tax holiday since its inception until only two years ago; it has paid less than a million dollars in total corporate tax and only in the past two years (2008 and 2009); it receives approximately $FJ 4-5 million in VAT refund annually given it is export- driven;  despite being a premium boutique water product, it declares the selling price of a carton of water  at $US4 when at the same time other relatively unknown brands from Fiji like Aqua Pacific declare their selling price to the US market at $US10 a carton; Fiji Water sells its water to a US sister company and therefore is engaged in transfer pricing.  These are the facts pertaining to Fiji Water.” 

The Prime Minister said that “the positive feedback from the recent Fiji-Australia, Australia-Fiji, NZ-Fiji and Fiji-NZ business councils meetings, the positive feedback on the Budget and the new investment inflows and interest is indicative of the affirmation of and confidence in Fiji and the Fijian economy by the private sector.”

 The Prime Minister  said that if Fiji Water is no longer interested in Fiji then the Fijian Government, following cancellation of the leases, “will call for international tenders from credible and reputable private sector companies to extract this valuable resource.”

 

For more information on Government events and decisions log onto the official Government portal www.fiji.gov.fj          
Watch Fiji Today News at 6.50pm on MAI TV & Read the Fiji Focus Newspaper every fortnight in the Fiji Sun
For enquiries please contact: 3301806 ext 118, 119 or email news@info.gov.fj

Fiji Water shuts down business after tax hike

Posted at 02:13 on 29 November, 2010 UTC


The US company, Fiji Water, is shutting its doors after Fiji’s interim regime announced a massive hike in the tax on exported bottled water.

Last week, the interim regime announced in its 2011 budget the levy would increase to 15 Fiji cents per litre from the current rate of a third of a cent per litre.

In a statement, Fiji Water’s President John Cochran said the new tax is untenable and the company had no choice but to close.

He says the company will also put on hold several large construction projects in Fiji.

Mr Cochran says Fiji Water contributes more than 70 million US dollars in export revenue and has employed 400 people.

He also says the country is increasingly unstable and is becoming a risky place to invest.

Mr Cochran says Fiji Water remains willing to work through the issue with the Fiji government.

The announcement comes 10 days after the interim regime deported an American executive of Fiji Water, David Roth, for allegedly interfering in Fiji’s domestic affairs.

In 2008, the interim government rescinded a 20 cent per litre tax after Fiji Water briefly shut down its plant and put 700 people out of work.

When the Cat's Away...

Aiyaz & Co will play. And play they have.

Now that Fiji Water have taken a hammering in the budget announcement, it is plausible that a vested interest in another mineral water entity is emerging.

Check out the sordid mess that evn FICAC is probably still mulling over (names whited-out to protect individuals), here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/44035903

And for interesting background information, more information about Aiyaz & Co's alleged play-time with our without Bainimarama's knowledge here (note it is upside down and you may need to rotate your view to see properly):

http://www.scribd.com/doc/44035694

Cyclone headed this way...

Mother Nature always has the last word.

To rain on Aiyaz's parade as poser finance-guru-of-the-hour, a public advisory is already out heralding an oncoming Tropical Cyclone.

Notwithstanding the fact that they've probably forgotten to budget for possible damages, we bet the Met Office and early warning technology was also forgotten in terms of budget injections for their critical role.

Despite the long, wordy speech, the fact of the matter is that:

• there's a huge short-fall of $216million in which to keep the government operational according to their calculations;
• once again all the eggs are in the basket of the ailing sugar industry which is being "manned" by military sorts;
• the people once again bear the brunt of keeping the illegal and treasonous regime afloat with a VAT hike of 2.5%;
• the much touted USD$150millions cannot be paid despite STRONG advice clearly showing that we would not be able to service it.

Open up your wallets citizens and keep paying for inefficiency, corruption and treason.

Budget Tidbits - Part 2

• VAT will increase from 12.%% to 15% wef 1 Jan 2011.
• Airport Departure Act comes into effect 1 January 2011 to ensure that airlines and travel agents ensure that departure tax is remitted to FIRCA within 2 wks of ticket issue to international traveller (a boon for international e-ticketing and online travel sales)
• Self Assessment PAYE (as a final tax) to be implemented on 1 Jaunary 2012...simply put this it means taxpayers no longer seek refunds at year end but that (hopefully) the right tax will be taken at source.  For consumers it means spending more for less.
•  A special tax regime for small business operators wef 1 January 2013.

More details downloadable from:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/44020752/Public-Circular-6-of-2010-2

Budget Tidbits...

• Imported vegies up by 32% (may annoy Tourism industry as they have particular standards which the local agro-industry is not on par with at the mo')
• New concessions for wedding couples who wish to bring their own wedding gear for local weddings.
• Imported sweet bickies, waffles and snack products up by 15% wef Friday (Punjas & Co will be happy).
• Import VAT up to 15% (from 12.5%) wef 1st January 2011.

PNG vs Fiji

Economically speaking the gloves are on.

Not only is PNG's economy is outperforming ours, they're slowly sliding towards a position of influence over key banking, tourism, aviation and infrastructure sectors in Fiji.

Forget Australia and NZ, Bainimarama & Co -- your problems are closer to home.

Budget D-Day

Despite all the fanfare from the regime's fan-club, the much glitzed up inconvenience to the tax-payers in addition to Bainimarama's unavailability to deliver the budget address amidst the rumours of his ill-health, his crumbling alliance and chilled relations with Fiji Water (despite Sharon John's fluff)--- the budget will only confirm what we already know. Fiji is broke.

The proof of course will be in the pudding. But the signs cannot be any clearer. Lashing out at one of the country's main exporters at this critical time is a sign that they're floundering.

Presumptiously asserting that Australia will change their tune on Fiji just because Hilary Clinton wants better access to PNG's LNG endowment is a shallow uptake that only Bainimarama excels in. The reality is more global in nature.

But by 11am Fiji time today we'll know for sure what's going down in all things fiscal.

One thing that cannot be disputed is that We The People will have to continue bear the burden of carrying this illegal and treasonous regime.