Prof Biman attacks FijiFirst for its reckless spending

PM Rabuka: Ageing ships becoming increasingly expensive to maintain

Ageing ships in the government fleet are becoming increasingly expensive for the state to maintain. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted the issue while delivering his ministerial speech in Parliament. “Domestic shipping services are the lifeline for our citizens in outer islands to participate in the life of our nation and our economy,” he said. “With...

73 per cent of Fiji’s tourism earnings recovered

Fiji has recovered 73 per cent of its tourism earnings ever since it opened its border in 2021. Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka revealed this at the inaugural Fiji Tourism Investment Summit on Denarau Island where he also commended the soaring occupancy rates which continued to track above 2019 levels which was...

$44.8m in compensation paid out – Tuinaceva

A total of $44.8 million in compensation has been paid under the no fault scheme since January 1, 2018, of which $30.3 million was for motor vehicles accidents, $13.5m for employment accidents and $500,000 for school accidents. Opposition parliamentarian Naisa Tuinaceva said this in Parliament on Monday during debate on the ‘Review Report of the...

Lal attacks government supporters

Virendra Lal spent the bulk of his maiden speech in Parliament on Monday attacking supporters of the Coalition Government for allegedly making “racist and discriminatory comments” and allegedly making obscene signs in front of the FijiFirst headquarters. “The President in his address spoke about uniting the people of Fiji, however, here we have a government...

Coalition Government aims to be ‘transparent’

The people’s Coalition Government aims to be transparent and will welcome dissenting opinions on difficult choices that lie ahead for the country. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad said they would be upfront with the people of Fiji, unlike the FijiFirst’s style of governance, where problems facing the nation were hidden...

$1.1m worth of farming and sports equipment

The Ministry of Youth and Sports under the previous administration distributed $1.1 million worth of boat, farming and sports equipment around Fiji between January 2018 and December 2022. Current Youth and Sports Minister Jese Saukuru stated this in a written response to questions filed by Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa...

Naidu: Need to consider standardised VAT rate

Government should consider expanding the list of zero-rated VAT (value added tax) items to keep its political promise of containing the inflation rate. Business consultant Sailesh Naidu said this at the Fiscal Review Committee public consultation in Lautoka this week, where he also said, in a bid to increase consumer consumption, the State should also...

One in every $5 paid as interest to our lenders – Prof Biman

Almost one in every five dollars of revenue that Government collects is now paid as interest to our lenders, of which about 70 per cent is local. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad painted a grim picture of Fiji’s finances during his ministerial statement in Parliament on Thursday. He said while the...

Public Rental Board shows increase in wages

Public Rental Board (PRB) staff received a whopping $296,244 increase in salaries and wages between 2019 and 2020 pushing total expenditure in pay to $959,486. This, according to the PRB’s 2020 annual report that was presented in Parliament on Monday. The report showed that salaries and wages in 2019 for 47 staff was $663,242, which...

Farmers in Fiji ‘shortchanged’ in cane payments; lost $13.8m

Sugarcane farmers in Fiji lost $13.87 million after being “shortchanged” in their cane payments from 2019 to 2021. Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh said this in Parliament this week. “Yes, there was a shortchange but let me go beyond 2019. Let us start with 2017,” Mr Singh said. “In 2017, the previous government gave $85...

14,000 to 16,000 Fijian tourism workers overseas – Minister Gavoka

An estimated 14,000 to 16,000 tourism workers have left the industry for overseas jobs, says Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka. He made the statement while replying to a motion for debate on the review of Fiji National University’s 2020 annual report in Parliament this week. “We all know about the brain drain...

Ratu Rakuita: More collaboration needed

More collaboration is needed between the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS), Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) to strengthen the FCS’ financial management system. This was highlighted by the chairman of the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure while moving a motion to review the FCS 2017-2018...

‘FCS utilised about 81% of allocated budget’

The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) utilised about 81 per cent of its allocated budget in the 2017-2018 financial year. Opposition Whip Alvick Maharaj said this during his reply to motion moved in Parliament yesterday to debate the review of the FCS annual report 2017–2018. “It was noted that during the review of the FCS utilised...

Former FCS commissioners acknowledged

The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) rehabilitation and reintegration programs are working with the number of reoffenders down to 27 in 2017-2018 from 72 in 2016-2017, says Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga. He acknowledged two former FCS commissioners now turned parliamentarians — Ioane Naivalurua and Ifereimi Vasu — for being instrumental in the decline...

A-G: Officers face more difficulties

Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) officers face more difficulties in performing their role than their counterparts in the police and military forces. Attorney-General and Justice Minister Siromi Turaga said this while speaking on a motion in Parliament by Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights member Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure to debate the review of the...

274 women die of cancer

Ninety Fijian women die of cervical cancer each year, while 184 succumb to breast cancer. According to the Fiji Country Gender Assessment (FCGA) published in 2020, Fiji recorded 293 breast cancer cases a year while 120 Fijian women develop cervical cancer. The FCGA reported that four in 10 women were not able to make their...

Tabuya: Big blocks remain – Social, cultural norms hold women and girls back

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya says according to the Fiji Country Gender Assessment (FCGA), gender discriminatory social norms and cultural practices remain a significant obstacle to gender equality in Fiji. She made the statement in Parliament on Wednesday. Ms Tabuya said despite notable progress in some areas such as education, critical...

Tarakinikini commissioned as Fiji’s PRUN

Former senior military officer Filipo Tarakinikini was recently commissioned by the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, as Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (PRUN). Mr Tarakinikini who served the Republic of Fiji Military Forces for 22 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2002 takes over the duties of PRUN from Dr...

Radrodro queries credibility of FNU program

Education Minister Aseri Radrodro has questioned the credibility of the Fiji National University’s (FNU) Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry program in Parliament this week. The story of graduates being unable to secure employment after completing the six-year course as it wasn’t accredited in Fiji, was highlighted in this newspaper this week. While...

Report: No supporting documents for cheques

The Office of the Auditor-General states there are no supporting documents for seven cash cheques totalling more than $12,000 which were issued by the Ministry of Civil Service. In an audit report on the Civil Service Ministry tabled in Parliament this week, the OAG said six of the cheques were cashed at the bank while...

Late special administrator’s salary doubled within one year

Suva City Council special administrator the late Chandu Umaria’s salary almost doubled within one year of his appointment in 2009 from $45,000 to $80,000. Local Government Minister Maciu Katamotu Nalumisa said this in response to a written question that was filed by Assistant Home Affairs Minister Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure in Parliament this week. Ratu Rakuita...

70pc of reported sexual violence cases involve girls, some boys

More than 70 per cent of all reported sexual violence cases in Fiji involve girls and some boys under the age of 18. This was highlighted by Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya while delivering her ministerial statement on the Fiji Country Gender Assessment in Parliament yesterday. She also said violence against...

Khan highest paid

Lautoka City Council chief executive officer Mohammed Anees Khan is the highest paid municipal CEO in Fiji, collecting a salary of $140,000. This, according to data presented to Parliament by Local Government Minister Maciu Katamotu Nalumisa this week. Mr Nalumisa said this in response to a written question from Assistant Minister for Home Affairs Ratu...

Fiji needs $2b for bridges, millions more for upgrades

Fiji will need to find $2 billion to replace bridges in the next decade, spend $800 million in the next five years to keep water systems going, $500m to repair and upgrade the Colonial War Memorial Hospital and $200m to bring sewage systems up to par. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad...

FijiFirst government owes $200m to movie producers, says Biman

The FijiFirst government paid international movie producers $200 million, owes them another $200m, and spent $90m on the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation over the past decade and $60m on Walesi. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad highlighted this in his ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday where he also lamented the previous government’s construction...

‘Borrow, spend was their only solution’

Fiji’s escalating debt projected to hit $10 billion by July this year, rampant wastage, pilferage and mismanagement of funds are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mounting economic challenges inherited by the people’s Coalition Government from its FijiFirst predecessors. And in his ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister...

Where is the money – DPM: We are now paying the price for poor planning

Where is the money? This was the question posed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad as he shared how his ministry was working frantically to address Fiji’s debt commitments, caused by the FijiFirst government’s “people pleasing” economic choices. Prof Prasad said those choices had put the country in a very...

Municipal councils under scrutiny

Municipal councils around the country have come under scrutiny from ratepayers and Government alike after a spate of activities and unfinished projects were brought under the spotlight. And while some councils cover a larger area when compared with others – in terms of geography, population size and operations – the issues plaguing the organisations were...

Government on new policy

Government will enforce a new policy that will ensure the removal of people from informal settlements who previously owned properties. This was revealed by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka yesterday while addressing journalists on the Cabinet’s decision to approve the new informal settlement upgrade program (ISUP) lot allocation policy on Tuesday. He said the policy would...

Politics

2nd April