(o-) Hari Punja Blames Government's Vacillating Policies for Fiji Flour Mills Loss ...of $6.4m on price control measures and what he says were arbitrary government decisions on duties and import policies. Click here for full report. Photo: Radio Fiji.
(o+) Proposed Rationalisation of Transport
Talks are under way on the proposed merger of Fiji’s road and motor vehicle regulator, the Land Transport Authority, and the country’s road safety agency, the National Road Safety Council.The merger of several educational institutions into the Fiji National University was reported earlier.
(o+) An Earlier Decision by Post Fiji to Cut Employee Wages...
by 10 percent for ten weeks to cut costs has been rescinded following discussion with the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
(-+) Farmers' Claims Against Military to be Investigated
The Fiji Labour Party reports that Defence Minister, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, has asked the military’s chief of staff to look into claims made by the National Farmers Union of intimidation, harassment and torture at the hands of the military.
(o) Good News for Tourists and Tourist Industry but ...
bad news for Fiji's national carrier Air Pacific that with a large financial loss in the 2009 year will now face more competition from Australian discount carriers Virgin Blue and soon-to-arrive Jetstar airlines.
(+) It's Earlier Days Yet But ...
the Reserve Bank claims its policy efforts to cushion the Fiji economy against the global financial crisis and other natural disasters has been successful.
(o) Nine Methodist Ministers and Officials ...
were in court this week charged with organising meetings in contravention to the Public Emergency Regulations. The case will be recalled on November the 10th.
(o) Fiji Has Suspended Part Two ...
of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) after its pleas for inclusion in trade talks among Pacific Island countries fell on deaf ears.
2 comments:
Hari Punja is perhaps correct in stating that vacillating or arbitrary policy in the field of commerce does not assist business (of any kind). Too few people in any Fiji government (now or of the past) have had a hands-on understanding of business, of the risks that must be taken in business and how such risk should be rewarded and acknowledged. But Mr Punja has over many years gained hugely in his businesses from past 'stuck-in-the-mud' policies of government which assisted him make large profits: import substitution was one of them. The Punja businesses have ably exploited government past policies to their own and Fiji's benefit. No business owner should be exclusively entitled to policy designed solely for them. Policy must be made with the benefit of all the people constantly in mind and with a view to a level playing field for all private enterprise. The Climate for Business must not be tainted or restricted with special interest in mind. The past predilection for 'Special Interest' with continual conflicts of interest in play, exploited for purely political purposes, has brought Fiji down. This must now be 'turned on its head'.
In those 'Liu Muri" column days of Daily Post, there was a bit about Flour Mills of Fiji adding on a 'transfer pricing " fee on the wheat shipped to Fiji for milling, so even when under price control, he had already made his money in Australia or the place from where he ships wheat. Any comments on that or can anybody else shed light on this type of transfer pricing? Isn't this happening with other Indian businesses in Fiji?
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