Local News
Nurses specialisation continues to grow in Fiji – Health Minister
THE area of nurse specialisation continues to grow in Fiji, says Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. “We are now beginning to look at maybe taking nurse practitioners into areas where there is a zone nurse,” Dr...
PM Bainimarama: Cpt Brown’s leadership values guided his decisions
SOME of the decisions and actions taken by the Government was inherited from the leadership values of first-ever Commander of the Fijian Navy Captain Stanley Brown. Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama shared this in Parliament today saying the late Captain Brown was his mentor. “To this day, those same lessons of leadership guide every decision...
Health ministry already committed $1.5m of budget allocation
THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services has already committed $1.5million of its 2019/2020 Budget. Minister of Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete highlighted this in Parliament yesterday. He said there was a budget appropriation that was available for overseas evacuation. “The overseas referrals were for treatment only and not for diagnostic workup, second...
Dr Waqainabete: Measles started from infected regional country
WE had no measles in Fiji, says Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. And he told Parliament that the re-emergence of measles in the country started from one of the countries that was infected in the region. “There are countries in the region such as New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa, and the...
2019 Corrections Service Amendment Bill enacted
THE Corrections Service Amendment Bill 2019 was enacted in Parliament this morning. Under this new law, prisoners for whom non-parole periods have been fixed by the court will now serve the entire term of the non-parole period. Additionally, the calculation for the date of release of a prisoner must not take into account the non-parole...
Forum to provide avenue for land and property professionals
MINISTRY of iTaukei Affairs permanent secretary Meleti Bainimarama opened the Institute of Valuation and Estate Management of Fiji’s 10th Annual Conference in Nadi this morning. “With the theme ‘Evolving Property Dynamics for the Future’ – Land Governance Framework, Innovation and Technology, Intangible Rights and Real Estate Economy, this forum will provide an avenue for land...
‘Projected debt for 2020 is $6b’
FIJI’S total debt in July 2020 is projected to be about $6.18 billion, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad. He said this could happen if Government fulfilled its borrowing obligations of $1.019b under the 2019-2020 budget and met projected loan repayments of more than $617 million. Speaking in Parliament this week, he said...
Restructuring of police force
POLICE constables were sitting on an annual salary of $9000 in 2006, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told Parliament yesterday. He said just recently this year their salaries had increased to between $16,000 and $18,000 per annum. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said Government had invested millions of dollars in restructuring the Fiji Police Force. He said police officers who...
Biman: FijiFirst’s policies more about politics not economics
IT is the worst kept secret in Fiji that the Government has run out of money. This was the message from National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad to Parliament this week. “I am genuinely worried for Fiji’s short-term economic future,” he said. “The FijiFirst party has no plan to resolve it. “For years their...
MP sheds light on hardships faced by Fijians
NATIONAL Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad says the situation in Fiji is grim. Speaking in Parliament this week, he claimed the cost of living was rising to the point of being unaffordable. He said the health sector was facing issues with patients in Serua and Namosi not able to have basic ultra-sound scans at...
A-G attacks Opposition
ATTORNEY-GENERAL Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has labelled Opposition MPs as a bunch of people who deliberately hide facts. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he said the level of hypocrisy from the MPs was a concern. “They don’t know how to remodel themselves to be an effective Opposition and they are not used to being in the Opposition.” He...
‘Government has betrayed youths’
THE FijiFirst Government has betrayed the youths of this country by failing to live up to its promises, says Opposition spokesman for youth and sports Ratu Suliano Matanitobua. He made the comments while speaking in response to President Jioji Konrote’s Parliament opening speech. Ratu Suliano said Government duped youths by promising them one laptop per...
Reduction in grant a broken promise, says Ratu Suliano
THE reduction in education grants to schools is another example of the FijiFirst Government’s failure to deliver on its promises to the youth. This was highlighted by Opposition spokesman for youth and sports Ratu Suliano Matanitobua in his response to President Jioji Konrote’s Parliament opening speech. Ratu Suliano said there was a danger youths and...
150th anniversary: Evidence of early Fiji
IT was a tiny piece of charcoal that confirmed Fiji was inhabited in 1290 BC — 800 years earlier than previously thought. In April 1967, The Fiji Times interviewed the then relieving director of the Fiji Museum, Elizabeth Shaw, who found the piece of charcoal that year. According to records, the earliest date previously recorded...
Measles scare closes school
THE Fiji School for the Blind was yesterday forced to cancel its annual prize-giving event after a student developed measles-like symptoms. School headteacher Sharmila Chandra confirmed the student had visible red rashes all over his body. The school was yesterday quarantined and all students were vaccinated. “We have received a directive from the medical department...
New outlets open at mall
TWO new outlets opened for business at MHCC yesterday which was dedicated to sportswear and electronics. Courts opened the Lifestyle SportsWorld and Cyber City outlets to the public to engage them with a smarter yet healthier living according to the chief marketing officer Anil Senewiratne. “This will be the first branded Lifestyle store we have...
Inspired by colours
NAVUA is a town of mixed intricacies. Nestled on the banks of the Navua River, the rural town is marked by its thriving produce market. Villagers from upriver and outer islands such as Beqa travel down to the town to sell their produce. It’s the starting point of a lot of inland river tours as...
Fun park for kids
LAUTOKA City will be the first in the country to open an amusement park for children, Hasmat Investment, located at Saweni along the Queens highway, announced the opening of its $5 million Magic Land Fun Park on December 20. Chief executive officer Hasmat Ali said after 43 years of being in the industry, it was...
Motherly love
COLLECTING firewood after school and catching prawns for dinner are memories that Filomena Koroi fondly remembers of her childhood. Raised by her great-grandmother at Yaroi Village in Savusavu at the age of six, she lost her mum but her great-grandmother stepped in to offer that motherly love. The loss she felt then made her a...
Call for Opposition leader to resign
OPPOSITION leader Sitiveni Rabuka should resign from his position for the betterment of the Social Democratic Liberal Party and the country. This was the view expressed by Leader of Government in Parliament Inia Seruiratu on Wednesday. He did not mince his words when he informed Parliament that the Prime Minister would not resign from his...
Radrodro claims Severe TC Winston damaged schools yet to be repaired
TWO schools damaged during Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016 have still not been rebuilt, claims Opposition MP Salote Radrodro. The schools are Yacata District School and Avea District School. “I know I have brought these cases up in this House on few occasions, but still, even though we have heard from the Honourable Minister...
Meth arrests raises risk of HIV/AIDS: Adi Litia
OVER 100 arrests a month for methamphetamine raises the risk for the spread of HIV/AIDS. This was told to Parliament by Opposition MP Adi Litia Qionibaravi, who said she was dismayed when she was informed about this by the UNAIDS regional representative at a recent Speaker’s Debate on HIV/AIDS in Sigatoka. She highlighted this in...
Opposition questions Government’s role in finding missing children
OPPOSITION MP Salote Radrodro has questioned the role of Government in finding the missing children in Fiji. On October 15, The Fiji Times reported that since 2014, a total of 723 children were reported to be missing, of which 37 are still missing. “And what is the Government doing to find these missing children?,” she...
21st November
Attempted murder suspect takes the stand
THE complainant was the first one to get into the pool . This was revealed by 30-year-old military officer, Rajiv Krishan Padyachi, who is being trialed at the High Court in Suva for allegedly trying to murder the 37-year-old complainant by drowning her at Colo-i-Suva on September 15 last year. While giving evidence in court...
Measles vaccine in limited supply, says Fiji’s health ministry
MEASLES vaccine is in limited supply, says the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services. And the ministry says it has informed members of the public of the shortage. “For this reason, the remaining measles vaccine stock will be prioritised to those who are at the greatest risk of catching and spreading measles and it...
LTA begins use of new machines to produce number plates
NEW machines have been in operation from yesterday in producing new number plates for the Lands Transport Authority (LTA). According to the LTA, the new equipment will in-turn reduce the customer turnaround time and ensure all number plates are printed on time and in an efficient and cost-effective manner. “Old number plates are now shredded...
Dr Waqainabete: Allowance for MPs paid by Government
OPPOSITION members of parliament were today reminded that the allowance they received in every engagement was Government money. The reminder came from Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete as he delivered his response to President Jioji Konrote’s opening address. “I hear some MPs from the other side usually ask for their allowances in...
Firefighters control fire from spreading at police barracks
A TAVUA police officer lost most of his belongings after a fire at the Tavua Police Barracks today. The fire was caused by an exploding stove. The fire started at 10.49am. Firefighters from Tavua and the Vatukoula Gold Mine managed to control the spread of the fire to other units in the barrack. No one...
Prof Prasad reminds Minister Sudhakar not to mislead Parliament
MINISTER for Lands Ashneel Sudhakar was reminded today not to mislead Parliament. National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad told the Minister not to mislead Parliament in the manner that he did yesterday by saying the rot in the sugar industry started after the 1987 coup when growers were chased and leases were taken over...
Secularism has nothing to do with leadership, says Prof Prasad
SECULARISM has absolutely nothing to do with leadership. National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad highlighted this today while responding to the President’s address on the opening of parliament. Prof Biman was referring to Opposition MP Mitieli Bulanauca’s address on Tuesday when he blamed the Secular State for the present state of leadership. “Nothing can...
