Police Commissioner’s term expires

18:22 Today (September 24, 2013)

There is confirmation that Brigadier Ioane Naivalurua is no longer the Police Commissioner.

A government statement confirms that the term of the current Commissioner of Police has expired.

The statement goes on to say that matter will be dealt with under the Constitution upon the return of the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama who is currently attending United Nations meeting in New York.

Bainimarama political party to be formed by April next year

Posted at 05:45 on 23 September, 2013 UTC

Fiji’s prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has told Fiji media he will have a political party by April next year.

Commodore Bainimarama announced earlier this year he plans to stand for election in the polls and will probably win.

The Fiji Sun reports Commodore Bainimarama says everything is in place for forming his party and plans just need to be activated.

He says very good people have asked to join the party.

The paper reports the regime leader has welcomed women candidates in his party line-up but he says they must get there on merit.

The regime has again dismissed calls for a caretaker government in the run up to the polls, as proposed in the earlier draft constitution of the Constitution Commission which was subsequently dumped by the regime.

The government says elections will be held by September next year.

Spirit Spray soft drink importer identified

Publish date/time: 22/09/2013 [17:13]

The Ministry of Health is still trying to ascertain as to how the soft drink labeled "Spirit Spray" was released into the market.

Spokesperson, Shalvin Deo said they have identified the importer who is away on a business trip and is expected to arrive into the country next week.

Deo added that they are also looking into the import permit, labeling requirements, Health Licenses and border control.

Sixteen students in Savusavu had to seek medical attention after consuming this "soft drink" earlier this month.

This product has been recalled from shops and canteens.

Meanwhile, Consumer Council of Fiji had earlier said that the product is from China.

Story by: Praneeta Prakash

Pine harvesting in Kadavu

18:05 Yesterday (September 24, 2013)
Report by: Masimeke Latianara

Pine harvesting in Kadavu will begin next month.

Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga says logging company Green Gold will undertake the harvesting.

Tikoitoga is a member of a committee appointed by the Kadavu Provincial Council to look at developing the pine industry on Kadavu.

Tikoitoga says the committee has discussed with the Fiji Road Authority about the transportation of the pine to the saw mill which will be located in Vunisea.

The company will use barges to transport the pine where roads are not available.

PM does not need to consult with political parties-govt

Publish date/time: 24/09/2013 [17:13]

The government has stressed that the Prime Minister does not need to consult with the political parties before recommending the appointments of the Supervisor of Elections and the members of the Electoral Commission.

Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, Colonel Pio Tikoduadua said the process during the transitional period is clearly set out in the 2013 constitution.

He said this will be followed by the government and there will be no changes. 

The Social Democratic and Liberal Party is calling for the Prime Minister to consult with the political parties before the appointment of the Supervisor of Elections and the members of the Electoral Commission.

Under the 2013 constitution, any appointments to be made by the Constitution Offices Commission before the next sitting of parliament have to be made by the Prime Minister in this transitional period.

After the first parliament sitting, the Constitution Offices Commission will be appointed. 

The commission will consist of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Attorney General, two persons appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and one person appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.

SODELPA's senior official, Doctor Tupeni Baba said they do not agree with the process in the transitional period.

When asked by Fijivillage why SODELPA is assuming that the Prime Minister will not recommend credible people, Doctor Baba said they will not change their stand.

However Colonel Tikoduadua has made it clear that the process will not be amended.

Story by: Vijay Narayan

New voter registration centre opens in Nausori

Publish date/time: 24/09/2013 [16:07]

A new voter Registration centre has opened in Nausori, making it the third Registration centre to open in the country.

Acting Permanent Secretary Responsible for Elections, Mohammed Saneem said the centre will give Fijians living in the Suva Nausori corridor, the opportunity to register to vote for the 2014 parliamentary elections, at their convenience.

The new Registration Center is located at the ground floor of the Government Information Center in Nausori.

Story by: Gwen Mc Goon

PM lifts moratorium on agricultural land

Publish date/time: 21/09/2013 [17:04]

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has lifted the moratorium on agricultural land to allow people the option to use agricultural land for other productive purposes, including the option to build new homes.

Commodore Bainimarama said Fijians will now be able to apply to convert agricultural land for residential, commercial or industrial use.

The Prime Minister said with the growth of towns and cities, surrounding land is best utilised for residential, commercial or industrial use, and now people will have the freedom to take advantage of this.

Commodore Bainimarama also pointed out that there are many people who currently live on agricultural land who are unable to build new homes for themselves and their families.

However, the Prime Minister stressed that the decision to lift the moratorium would in no way threaten the amount of land available for agricultural.

Story by: Filipe Naikaso

Bainimarama defends salary increase

September 20, 2013 05:37:30 AM

Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says heads of government departments were given an increase in salaries recently to attract “the right people." 

The increase which came into effect on September 1 is said to be based on a Price WaterhouseCoopers (PWC) assessment report. 

The report also outlined the new salaries for the 24 permanent secretaries together with three disciplined service heads, ranging from $160,000 to $221,894. 

“That is true. We are having elections next year. We expect the Australian and New Zealand governments to fully lift the sanctions next year, so we are able to attract the people, the right people, to fill those posts," Bainimarama said. 

“We have to get the right people. 

“A lot of the people want to come in but they can’t because of the sanctions so we have boosted the pays to attract these people.” 

The new salaries are in place till the elections. 

Meanwhile, the move has attracted criticism from political parties and trade unions including the Fiji Labour Party, the People's Democratic Party, Fiji Public Service Association and the Fiji Trades Unions Congress calling for justification. They labelled the move as discrimatory, and called for the rest of the civil service to be given immediate relative increase in their pay in comparison to the new salaries granted to the heads of government departments. 

FijiLive

RFMF on the move

September 19, 2013 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom

Military engineers given Govt pre-paid tasks

The Government is using the expertise and efficiency of Republic of Fiji Military Forces engineers to boost service delivery to the people.

Pre-paid government tasks costing $851,567 had been given to the engineers in the latest example of this faith in their ability to deliver.

These projects were confirmed yesterday by the engineering unit’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Semi Mocelutu.

“This job has been given to us by the Prime Minister’s Office and we will do them to the best of our abilities,” Lieutenant-Colonel Mocelutu said.

The RFMF engineers, he said, had the capacity to effectively carry out these various tasks.
He said they had expertise in constructing bridges, foot crossings and bailey bridges,   constructing buildings, repairing and constructing new roads and jetties.

He said they had another 24 projects currently in progress all around Fiji but this would not affect their new task.

Now, he said, they were preparing for new deployments to carry out the pre-paid tasks.

The Govt’s pre-paid tasks are  -

a.    Bainimarama Primary Sch, Navosa Province – 1 x teacher’s quarter -  $57,359.96;
b.    Qarani Village, Gau foot bridge  -   $19,529.07;
c.    Malawai Village, Gau foot bridge – $155,960.00;
d.    Vunidawa Sanatan Primary Sch, Naitasiri  – general repairs  and 1x teacher’s quarters – $92,078.97;
e.    Nabitu Primary Sch, Nadroga /Navosa – school renovation  $102,302.92;
f.    Vanuakula Catholic School, Naitasiri – repair of dormitory  $21,721.93;
g.    Bemana Catholic Sch – 1x new dormitory , 1 x 7 pan ablution block and 1 x dining hall $177,090.50;
h.    Vesaru Sanatan Primary School – overall school repairs $141,842.82; and
i.    Wainibuka Junior Sec Sch Nayavu – constrution of a 1 x 3 classroom block – $83,681.42

Pre paid works total:    $851,567.59

The CO Engineers said all teams would be given a timeframe to work on their projects and food rations would be forwarded according to the timeframes.

This, he said, will be done so that all pre-paid tasks were completed on time.

All team leaders, he said, knew of the repercussions they would face if the work was not done on time.

‘7s rugby, FIJI Water make Fiji unique’

September 19, 2013 | Filed under: Fiji Sports | Posted by: newsroom
By ANASILINI RATUVA

Rokoseru Nabalarua says FIJI Water and sevens rugby brings international recognition that makes Fiji unique.

The FIJI Water chief executive made the comment during the media launch of the FIJI Water Centennial International 7s in Suva yesterday.

“This is FIJI Water’s largest ever sponsorship for sports in Fiji,” Nabalarua said.

“Fiji sevens rugby and FIJI Water are a natural fit, as both serve as ambassadors for the country bringing international recognition of all that makes Fiji unique.”

Fiji Rugby Union board member Billy Singh says the partnership between FIJI Water and Fiji Rugby proves that there are bigger and better things yet to come in terms of rugby in Fiji.

He says 15 teams will compete in the FIJI Water Centennial International 7s tournament at ANZ Stadium on October 4-5.

“We will not have 16 teams participating since South Africa has withdrawn,”Singh said.

“But we will be having 15 teams and we are looking forward to an exciting two days of competition.”

The competition will prove Fiji’s bid to host a leg of the IRB 7s World Series.

Epeli Lagiloa’s United Arab Emirates sevens team have confirmed participation in the two-day tourney.

The other countries taking part are Australia, France, Kenya, American Samoa, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Solomon Islands.

The two-day tourney will be used as build up for the Gold Coast Sevens leg on October 13-14.

Sevens coach
Singh said the new Digicel Fiji 7s coach will be known soon following the Fiji Rugby Union board meeting yesterday.

“The board will look at all applications again, also the profiling of candidates before they make the announcement,” Singh said.

Ben Ryan, Etuate Waqa, Iliesa Tanivula and Waisiki Masirewa are all vying for the spot.

Conto Resources’ new minerals find at Udu Point

September 19, 2013 | Filed under: Business | Posted by: newsroom

Conto Resources Ltd announced this week to the Australian Stock Exchange that a recently completed geophysical survey has defined new targets for continued copper and zinc exploration at Udu Point.

Conto Resources, an Australian publicly listed company is in a joint venture with Dateline Resources Ltd who owns and operates mineral exploration at Udu Point through its Fiji subsidiary Matai Holdings.

Steward Capp, Exploration manager for Matai said: “Matai Holdings has been exploring for copper and zinc deposits over its at Udu Point since l996.

“It is an ongoing commitment. Since the joint venture was initiated last year $3.5 million has been spent on mineral exploration at Udu Point.

“The joint venture is pleased with the results of our recent exploration programme which continues to build our knowledge base for the region.

“This latest work has provided new targets for drilling and we expect to initiate follow up work in coming weeks.” Mr Capp said.

“The geophysical survey was conducted over an area of 685 Hectares, over 3 Mataqali, and it took 2 months to complete.  During the period we employed 25 Udu point workers per day.

“We would like to extend our thanks to our employees at Udu Point for their hard work and completing the job on schedule” Mr. Capp concluded.

— MATAI HOLDINGS (FIJI) LIMITED

FNU saves thousands through Unifarm

07:00 Today

The Fiji National University is already making huge savings from the purchase of a two hundred acre farm land in Navua widely known as the Unifarm.

The local University saves seven hundred thousand dollars a year on chickens, eggs and meat.

Unifarm currently has close to nine hundred cows which are producing nine litres of milk a day.

NFU’s Chief Research Officer Dr Isimeli Tagicakivarata says, the Unifarm concept is quiet distinct from other agriculture training institutions in the country.

“The difference before those previous programs and the one offered at FNU is that it’s of a higher level, higher education standards because it’s an elevation from a diploma to degree program at University level. Everything is on a grander scale.”

Unifarm hopes to lure young people into commercial agriculture, promote self sufficiency in locally produced products, promote the idea of import substitution and help students get practical experience in whatever field of agriculture they’ve chosen.

Fiji spurns NZ peace offering

MICHAEL FIELD
Last updated 16:00 13/09/2013

New Zealand's peace offering to Fiji has been spurned by military coup leader Frank Bainimarama.

He says Foreign Minister Murray McCully offer is not genuine, and Fiji's military-appointed Foreign Minister, Inoke Kubuabola, says McCully's move may be "a little too late". 

McCully yesterday announced a programme of electoral assistance and the easing of some sanctions as New Zealand moves to encourage Fiji.

He said the Cabinet had approved further changes "which recognise both the progress that has been made in Fiji and the need for support for free and fair elections".

Speaking on Auckland Indian Radio Tarana today, Bainimarama was not impressed.

While New Zealand and Australia had accepted the new constitution, he said, "we didn't do this for them; we did if for the Fijian people". Wellington and Canberra imposed "smart sanctions" after Bainimarama overthrew a democratic government in 2006. They were reinforced when Bainimarama broke his initial promise to hold elections in 2008.

He now promises them in a year but told Tarana that they would have happened sooner had New Zealand and Australia not imposed sanctions.

"But I want to ask the question, where were they when we really needed them?"

He said New Zealand had tried to damage Fiji as a nation.

"Yes, now they have come around, but I tell you ... it is going to take a long time to restore the trust we had initially. They tried to bring Fiji down," he told Tarana.

"Even McCully's statement yesterday that only partial travel bans will be lifted demonstrates that they are really not genuine. Nor do they really understand what is happening in Fiji."

Bainimarama said New Zealand was not treating Fiji as an equal.

Kubuabola, who has been a plotter in all four of Fiji's coups since 1987, said that while Fijiwelcomed the incremental changes in the New Zealand stance, it was regrettable they were of little impact.

Fiji had a constitution and would hold elections next year.

"It is positive that New Zealand recognises this commitment and progress, but it may have come a little too late," he said.

In his Tarana interview, Bainimarama dismissed as unimportant 14 women who were arrested and briefly held last week as they called for democracy outside Government House.

A measure of Fiji's political freedom was seen today in media outlets and how they reported an unprecedented critique of the country's military rule by new Catholic Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.
He said Bainimarama had promised change but had merely changed the form of power.

"Despite claiming to clean the government of corruption and racism as well as to bring about change and development, Bainimarama has not made much change in terms of power," Chong said.

He had replaced a corrupted and racist government and the traditional chiefs with his military chiefs.

"The military had become the institution of patronage," he said.

All Fiji media outlets reported the non-controversial parts of Chong's address but excluded reference to Bainimarama.

Formal censorship has been eased by the military but self-censorship remains strong in Fiji.

Fiji talks tough on diplomacy

Updated 17 September 2013, 17:21 AEST

Comments from Fiji's Foreign Minister over the weekend have again stirred up the debate about what diplomatic future the country will have with the two biggest players in the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, when it returns to democratic rule.

Listen here.

In an newspaper interview Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said once again that there will be no exchange of diplomats with Australia until after Fiji's elections, backflipping on a committment he made last year.

As well he said if Fiji is to accept an offer to be allowed back into the Pacific Islands' Forum, it will have to be under its own terms, and those terms include Australia and New Zealand, basically removing themselves from its operations, and providing just financial support.

Presenter: Campbell Cooney

Speaker: Professor Brij Lal, Australian National University

$100K for Namosi, Waidina students

September 12, 2013

This year, over 80 tertiary students from the province of Namosi and the tikina ‘o Waidina, Naitasiri, have benefited from an education assistance programme.

The total value of assistance for Semester Two stands at $100,000. This is in addition to $130,000 paid out for assistance in Semester One, 2013.
 
“We are pleased that many of the students assisted in Semester one passed their exams, and are now being assisted again to continue their studies into Semester Two,” said the NAmosi joint venture’s country manager, Greg Morris.
 
Mr Morris reiterated that support for education and training was a central value for the company.
 
“We have worked closely with educators, the Tikina Namosi Landowners Committee (TNLC) and other stakeholders to review the results, and strengthen the education assistance programme to ensure funds are used effectively.”
 
Over the last four years the company has spent over $800,000 on its education assistance programme.
 
The Namosi Joint Venture (NJV) is a group of three companies who have come together to explore for and potentially mine mineral resources in Namosi and Naitasiri Provinces.

Source: NAMOSI JOINT VENTURE

Farmers concerned about some cane varieties

16:43 Wed Sep 11, 2013

Taken from/By: FBC
Report by: Rajendra James

The Fiji Sugar Corporation is calling on cane farmers to report any problems related to the planting of their cane varieties to the field officers.

The corporation has received reports of some varieties dying.

FSC Executive Chair Abdul Khan says, farmers can also contact him directly about the issue.

Gatti Arjun, a cane farmer of Waimari in Ra says he had some problems with the Cuba variety of cane.

Other farmers in the area claim the Naidiri variety isn’t yielding good results.

Khan says a special team from Lautoka visited the affected areas and conducted studies.

Results of the studies are yet to be released.

HA pays families to vacate land for development

07:04 Today (September 12, 2013)

Taken from/By: FBC News
Report by: Mika Loga

Fifty families of Namara settlement along Khalsa outside Suva, have been offered ten thousand dollars each by the Housing Authority to vacate the land.

The land at Tacirua East is being developed for housing.

The decision was a result of increasing demand for housing in the central division, which according to the Authority, is reaching a critical point.

Housing Authority spokesperson Dwain Qalovaki told FBC News, the money is to help the families continue on with life.

“The ten thousand dollar allocation that’s been given to these fifty families is in line with helping them dismantle their current properties. Then it’s to allow them transport their property towards their new location they’ve set up in. There will be points where they’ll need to buy new timber or buy new plyboard or more nails.”

The land in question is in the parcel of land leased to Housing Authority by the Mataqali Nawavatu of Kalabu for residential development.

And already, people have secured lots there.

Qalovaki says, the Authority will continue to negotiate with the families some of whom are reluctant to move.

“For the past few weeks we have been negotiating with these families and you’re exhausting all avenues and we are exhausting all avenues.”

The Housing Authority has also offered the families to purchase properties in the new subdivision.

Works on PRB flats to resume this week

Publish date/time: 10/09/2013 [10:10]

Construction works for the Public Rental Board Raiwai flats is expected to resume this week.

Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Pio Tikoduadua said PRB and China Railway Number 1 will be signing a contract variation sometime this week.

Tikoduadua said they have sorted all the issues and once the contract is signed works will resume.

Construction works had stopped after the costs had exceeded their $9 million budget.

Meanwhile, more than 4,000 applicants are awaiting the construction to resume.

Story by: Filipe Naikaso

Lodhia says no approval was given by FNPF Board

Publish date/time: 11/09/2013 [07:01]
A former board member of the Fiji National Provident Fund, Himmat Lodhia was shown the minutes of a FNPF board meeting of 2nd December, 2005 in the Suva High Court yesterday.

The former FNPF General Manager and CEO, Olota Rokovunisei and former deputy general manager, Foana Nemani were also present in that FNPF board meeting.

Lodhia when cross examined by FICAC lawyer, Rashmi Aslam said that Rokovunisei highlighted in the board meeting, that he was going to oversee the Investment Division until a new appointment is made.

Aslam asked Lodhia if there was any approval given by the Board, for Nemani to pay Rokovunisei a responsibility allowance for looking after the Investment of FNPF.

Lodhia said there was no approval from the Board and the CEO was not entitled to receive any extra allowance.

Lodhia who was a FNPF board member from 2002 to 2006 during cross examination by FICAC said that Nemani could not approve any allowance without the green light given by the Board and the Higher Salaries Commission.

Nemani is charged with one count of extortion by public officer and one count of abuse of office.

Nemani was reported to have gone to New Zealand for medical treatment in 2011.

The case resumes this morning in absentia.

Story by: Tokasa Rainima

4 burst water mains affect parts of Suva

Publish date/time: 11/09/2013 [16:07]

The Water Authority of Fiji received reports of four burst main today in Lami, Samabula and Vatuwaqa areas.

People residing in parts of Lami are facing water disruption till later today while people of Vatuwaqa areas including the industrial sub division area have started receiving normal water supply.

Water Authority of Fiji’s spokesperson Fulori Turaga said their workers are at the scenes carrying out repair works.

The areas affected in Lami includes Solomoni Street, Naimawi Street, Marin Drive, Vatuvia Road, Panaromic Road, Uduya Point, Veisari, Beninaiveli, Togalevu, Qauia, Saint Thomas School and Monfort Boys Town.

Meanwhile, Water trucks will be carting water to affected areas in Lami.

Story by: Sheetal Kumar

China Railway ready for bridges

September 11, 2013 By LOSIRENE CHAND

The Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, with China Railway First Group’s, Jeff Peng, at the company’s stage one campsite near Dreketi in Macuata. Photo: LOSIRENE CHAND

China Railway First Group was happy to welcome the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama at their stage one base near Dreketi, in Vanua Levu, on Monday.

The company’s commercial project manager, Jeff Peng, told the Prime Minister that they had completed the laying of 209 concrete pipe culverts on the 70 km Dreketi – Nabouwalu road and they have started on the construction of 16 box culverts.

Mr Peng advised that as soon as they completed setting up bailey bridges, to be used as temporary bridges, they would start work on building 14 new bridges.

For the 70km road, the company had completed the first layer of fill, which is the embankment layer.

Work has already started on the sub-grade layer which is the second layer of fill.

The project is being supervised by MWH Engineering Limited New Zealand (Fiji Branch), which, just weeks ago, appointed a new senior residential engineer, Craig Mocke.

Mr Mocke replaces Sivaguru Thillainathan, who was the residential engineer for both the Buca Bay Project and also the Nabouwalu Project.

He will now focus only on the Buca Bay Project.

Time to grow canefields effort (Editorial)

September 11, 2013

JYOTI PRATIBHA West Editor

Ph: (679) 6708088

Email: jyotip@fijisun.

Jyoti Pratibha

The good news: The sugarcane processing season is well underway. So far some 95,000 tonnes of sugar has been produced at the country’s biggest mill, Lautoka.

The not-so-good news: Inconsistent supply of cane has been a problem with most mills, and especially Lautoka and Penang.

Farmers are once again being reminded to ensure the consistent supply to their respective mills.

What’s happening in the fields, and in the harvesting are coming under the spotlight.

A call to farmers by the Sugar Cane Growers Council follows continual concerns by the millers, Fiji Sugar Corporation, over low and inconsistent supply from the farms.

Previously, it was always easy for farmers to point fingers at the poor performance of mills.
Now, the tables have been turned. Following the Bainimarama Government reforms mills are performing and they are performing better.

The onus now is with sugarcane growers.

The tonnes of cane to tonnes of sugar (TCTS) ratio has improved significantly.

The focus is now on the growers to produce more cane and get it harvested and delivered to the mills on time to take advantage of better cane payments.

Growers also need to be reminded: When the mills terminate processing, there will be no compensation for stand over cane if it is left in the fields due to a lack of effort.

The Government and the Fiji Sugar Corporation are doing much to ensure that best quality sugar is produced and the best price is given to growers.

The growers now need to look closely at issues such as planting, harvesting, supply of labour and transport.

Water, river gauges set up

September 11, 2013 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
By LITIA MATHEWSELL

Government has completed the installation of four new automatic river water level and rainfall gauges. This is expected to boost the country’s flood warning system, and benefit other sectors that rely on the data collected.

Permanent Secretary for Works, Transport and Public Utilities, Commander Francis Kean, said these gauges were set up at Sigatoka, Labasa, Keiyasi and Bukuya in the hinterlands of Viti Levu.

“These instruments give the Meterology Department real-time information on rainfall and water level in the rivers.

That convenience gives decision-makers ample time to send out warnings to communities if they need to evacuate in the event of a flood,’’ Commander Kean said.

“Data collected is automatically sent back to the Meterology Department and is not only beneficial for flood forecasting but useful to other Government sectors that rely on such data, such as for infrastructure, electricity, agriculture etc.,.

The gauges cost around $15,000 each and were installed by the New Zealand-based National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

Commander Kean said they were grateful that the 2013 budget had allocated $454,000 for hydrology.

Farmers urged to place advance orders

12:56 Today (September 11, 2013)
 

Taken from/By: Google
Report by: Rajendra James

South Pacific Fertiliser is urging sugar farmers to place their orders in advance with the Fiji Sugar Corporation field staff to allow for timely supply of fertiliser.

Growers in Rakiraki and Drasa have raised their concerns on not receiving fertiliser on time.

SPF general manager – Ashwin Ram says they are aware of the issue and are working on it.

“I can assure all farmers today that we are making every effort to deliver your (farmers) fertiliser. As of today I think we have fifteen loads outstanding for Penang Mill and I think it is quite a big number.”
 

Ram says they are making every effort to deliver fertilisers to everyone before Fiji enters the rainy season.

Tacirua East Housing Development

16:32 Today (September 11, 2013)

Taken from/By: FBC
Report by: Mika Loga

The Housing Authority’s residential development at Tacirua East outside Suva is quickly taking shape.

The Authority will put 167 developed lots on the market soon in addition to the 81 it sold last year.

Housing Authority’s spokesperson Dwain Qalovaki told FBC News, the development is taking place on a 184 acres of land.

“The Tacirua East stage 2 project will catering for the full gambit of homeowners. We’re looking at full home ownership options at Tacirua but we’re also looking at options for middle and high income families. The fist 81 high end residential lots were developed and sold last year. There are few lots remaining on that one. The next 167 lots wil be coming out very shortly, towards the ed of the year we’re anticipating another 200 lots to be coming out”.

Qalovaki says, demand for housing in the central division is reaching a critical point.

Hefty pay rises for Fijian officials alleged

Originally aired on Dateline Pacific, Monday 9 September 2013

Fiji's Trades Union Congress says permanent secretaries of government departments and the heads of the military, prisons and police have been given pay increases of up to 192 percent.

Duration:  3′ 10″ 

Fiji's Trades Union Congress says permanent secretaries of government departments and the heads of the military, prisons and police have been given pay increases of up to 192 percent.

This follows a review by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The salaries of those heading the disciplined services and the top five permanent secretaries positions, as of last week, were US$116,000.

The national secretary of the FTUC, Felix Anthony, told Don Wiseman such monumental rises can never be justified.

FELIX ANTHONY: More particularly at a time like this when the country is facing very difficult times. We have 60% of our people living under the poverty line. And, of course, the workers in the civil service and other government-owned enterprises like the sugar corporation, have not had a wage adjustment for seven years, seven straight years. And here these guys are simply rewarding themselves while there's no money for the common man who slogs every day.
   
DON WISEMAN: The valuation by PricewaterhouseCoopers, is it going to extend down through the public service?

FA: No. My understanding is that that was specifically done for those positions only.
DW: These people are going to be receiving, if we think of it in terms of US dollars, $110,000 annually. What's the average wage in Fiji?

FA: Well, the majority of civil servants earn, when they start off, a minimum of Fijian $10,000, which is US$5,000. The majority of civil servants are between the Fijian $10,000 and the Fijian $40,000 mark, which is US$20,000. So this has created a huge disparity in the wage relativity's from the bottom up. And we believe these increases are unjust and totally uncalled for, something that Fiji simply cannot afford at this time. We believe that the government ought to look at a wage adjustment for all civil servants, and it may not cost them an additional Fijian $2.7 million, as it has for the 27 people.

DW: If we can look at the sugar workers that you mentioned, clearly you are closely involved with those workers and there is still pending, this strike. Is that likely still to go ahead?

FA: Yes, that dispute remains pending at the moment. The executive committee will determine a time for action. But I think the irony here is that we have the Permanent Secretary for Sugar himself receiving a 103% wage increase, while at the same time he refuses to talk to the union about workers who simply are struggling to put food on the table. And when these workers demand wage adjustment nowhere near what the Permanent Secretary for Sugar is getting, what we get is intimidation, we get threats and we get the military, on workers in the mills. So you can see the situation and the discrimination that goes on in Fiji when it comes to the common worker, the man down the street who struggles to put food on the table.

Fox News: Fiji passes new constitution that raises both hopes and concerns about path to democracy

Published September 06, 2013
Associated Press

SUVA, Fiji –  Fiji has passed a new constitution, a step raising both hopes and concerns among many who want democracy restored to the South Pacific island nation.

The military regime that seized power in a 2006 coup says the constitution is another step toward free elections next year.

But many say the document curtails certain freedoms and is self-serving to the regime.

It's the country's fourth constitution since 1970.

Fiji's leader Frank Bainimarama said the constitution enshrines principles including an independent judiciary, a secular state, and a range of civil, political, and socio-economic rights.

Bainimarama plans to contest next year's elections.

Fiji police on Friday arrested about a dozen people, including a former prime minister, who were apparently peacefully protesting the new constitution, highlighting the restrictions opposition groups continue to face.