Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Wednesday 3 August 2011

News and Editor's Comments Wednesday 3.8.11

Wednesday 3.8.11
RAMADAN STARTS. With the appearance of the new moon, Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar when they are expected to fast and abstain from smoking and sex from dawn until sunset. They also adhere to a broader definition of self-restraint that includes focusing on a re-evaluation of their lives. Ramadan commemorates the time more than 1400 years ago when the words of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. Ramadan ends with the celebration called Eid al-Fitr.
KFC COULD CLOSE. KFC says their temporary closure is due to certain ingredients which they are not allowed to import because of bans placed by Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF), but  BAF said KFC’s closure is not due to any bans imposed by them but through their own admission to rising costs and deteriorating sales.
UNION WARY OF AIR PACIFIC OFFER. The Transport Workers Union says a profit-sharing programme proposal for Air Pacific employees is vague, unlikely to produce benefits for many years (the company made a loss of over US$50m last year)and was "not a good enough incentive for workers." The union’s general secretary Kamlesh Kumar complained the union had been kept in the dark about the proposal and had only heard about it through the media.
MORE SEWING MACHINES. China has donated another thousand sewing machines to help rural women lift their household incomes. All rural villages and settlements  with a women organization are entitled to receive two household sewing machines as a form of assistance from the Ministry for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation that has received this support from China's women organizations. The assistance started last year following the visit of the All China Women's Federation Vice President Meng Xiaosi in April. Since then 1,900 machines have been distributed. This is an excellent initiative for the "grassroots" if sufficient spare parts and regular servicing are also made available.
NAMOSI MINING OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS.More than 100 tertiary level scholarships worth $170,000 have been awarded by the Namosi Joint Venture mining companies this year.
POLICEMAN IN COURT for allegedly accepting a bribe

8 comments:

Bribing the Invisible? said...

Policeman in court for accepting a bribe?

No Police Officers in evidence just now in many locations but especially when they are urged to respond to violent attacks. Paid by taxpayers they need to be reminded of this and pleading "No transport" will not wash. They are expected to be intelligent enough to organise transport. Do Senior Officers not have the 'nous' to do this?

Bribing police officers must be very difficult if none are to be seen to make a transaction?

Backhander? said...

Namosi Mining offers scholarships...?

Only $170,000? Sounds like a back-hander!

Ramadan and Lenten Practice said...

Ramadan is rather more demanding than 'no smoking or sex' from dawn to dusk?

The observance may differ from one Muslim Country to another but not in the insistence upon abstinence until Eid ul Fitr. This discipline is required to instill strength of mind and purpose for spiritual elevation and enlightenment.

Not unlike the requirements of Lent when strictly observed in the Christian tradition of six weeks duration.

Repeating the call said...

Sorry to sound boring but I long to see a news headline in your blog that says -

"PM comes clean on salary and benefits" or better still...

"PM silences critics - nothing to hide"

Until then I will treat his promises with great caution. His advisers would do well to advise him wisely on this issue. Surely he should know that eventually the truth will come out. It's probably the first thing any new democracticly elected government will publish. And when campaigning for elections start I sure a inflated number (like $700k) will do the rounds again and again to tarnish him and his team. This is in his hands. Will he act ?

Ha ha said...

With all those sewing machines out there perhaps the community can start stitching together a new constitution ?

Certainly the RFMF and the good Sharon must have got the first few deliveries because they sure have the media well and truly sewn up.

Our AG has clearly got a machine as well. He seems to have mastered the zig zag function as he skirts around the issues raised by unions. He plan to stitch up the unions by discrediting their leaders and double cuffing their money sources.

Some of the advanced machines went to the RBF where they are busy with the embroidery functions to make even the worst results a little prettier.

luckily the machines are not just being sent to villages as that would ignore the many indo Fijian poor ? Many cane truck drivers have simply worn out their pants waiting for mills to run son much patch sewing is required.

Previously chiefs had large money bags sewn for them but with the redistribution of lease money these are no longer required.

The police commissioner was very pleased to receive a few machines as well. He has a team madly sewing yellow ribbons right now. He has also started a small business with several officers (thanks to a grant from his police budget) to sew money bags for the PM and government ministers. Not knowing what size to make these they have decided to make three types to cover all senarios 1. Big 2. Very Big and 3. Military budget size really really big.

Meanwhile Mara is trying to stich up everyone he can, not worrying about his own fabric or that of Fiji.

An interesting side to this is that with so many new sewing machines and so much potentional money the usual union players are actually thinking of representing the new garment industry....ther might just be enough money in it for them now.

finger lick'in said...

By the way the Australain media has reports of many KFC outlets closing in Australia. Nothing to do with a coup of biosecurity - simply a case of demand changing.

It's one of the worst meals for your health and offers very little in terms of value add to the economy. It's a private issue for the business not one for government.

Chicken lover said...

KFC has repeatedly been one of the worst run, dirtiest and poorly managed businesses in Fiji.

Their business has been floundering for years. The owner's cheap management skills including cutting off air-conditioning 2 hours before closing, removing basic add-ons such as salt and pepper and so many more bad decisions truly point to their reason for failure.

The biosecurity stuff I cannot comment on since I don't know particulars but as far as KFC's business in Fiji, they deserve to go under.

Critical Salad Chopped! said...

High time all fast food outlets in Fiji were obliged legally and regulated to serve salads and fruits DAILY in their menus. Why wait on this? Why no child- sized burgers and chopped salads like here in LA?

This is Critical and the Ministry of Health should insist upon it.