(+) "Smart" Sanctions, Indeed
Fiji's Solicitor-General Christopher Pryde, a Kiwi represents the irony of ‘smart sanctions. Foreigners like Pryde can take up government positions with no penalties, but Fiji citizens are placed on travel bans.
The so-called "smart" sanctions were supposed to apply to military and senior government people (and their families) but seem to have been indiscriminately applied to anyone holding any senior Government appointment extending even to membership of the University of the South Pacific Council. Ikbal Janiff’s membership was renewed by the post-coup regime and he is banned from traveling to New Zealand. I understand also that Reserve Bank Governor Sada Reddy has had his NZ Permanent Residence status revoked.
The so-called "smart" sanctions were supposed to apply to military and senior government people (and their families) but seem to have been indiscriminately applied to anyone holding any senior Government appointment extending even to membership of the University of the South Pacific Council. Ikbal Janiff’s membership was renewed by the post-coup regime and he is banned from traveling to New Zealand. I understand also that Reserve Bank Governor Sada Reddy has had his NZ Permanent Residence status revoked.
(o) Sane Words from Akuila Yabaki
The executive director of the Fiji Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF) says there’s no point holding an election in Fiji until the country’s deep seated racial problems are addressed.Rev. Akuila Yabaki told the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association (PIPSA) conference held in Auckland last week that too much emphasis is being placed [by foreign governments] on restoring democracy rather than on addressing Fiji’s real problems.
Reverend Yabaki says despite the country’s history of coups, large sectors of the population lack even the most basic information on what citizenship is. “In our work in the villages, 17% of the people knew what citizenship is... when you come to Fiji, you fill in the immigration form, you’ve got Fiji citizen. But before we had categories of Fijians. They’ve got rid of that. But then you have to educate people to understand what a Fiji citizen is, that you have a passport, you are born in Fiji.”
Akuila Yabaki says that lack of knowledge affects the political process, and internal problems such as the divide between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians must be addressed first.
Reverend Yabaki says despite the country’s history of coups, large sectors of the population lack even the most basic information on what citizenship is. “In our work in the villages, 17% of the people knew what citizenship is... when you come to Fiji, you fill in the immigration form, you’ve got Fiji citizen. But before we had categories of Fijians. They’ve got rid of that. But then you have to educate people to understand what a Fiji citizen is, that you have a passport, you are born in Fiji.”
Akuila Yabaki says that lack of knowledge affects the political process, and internal problems such as the divide between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians must be addressed first.
(+) Tappoo Group Confident in Fiji Economy
Speaking at the opening of the new Suva $50m department store, TappooCity, company Director Mahendra Tappoo said its construction showed "[the Tappoo family has] a lot of confidence in the economy. We believe that whatever political problems we might have, Fiji is going to do great in business."The six-storey complex, a joint venture between Fiji National Provident Fund and the Tappoo Group, is hailed as a new city landmark that will offer international standard shopping experience to locals as well as tourists. Full story.
(o) Poverty Money Went to Wrong Hands
Large amounds of money under the poverty alleviation programme given out over past years did not help reduce poverty because some of it went into the wrong hands, says Health Minister Jiko Luveni. Much of the money was not targeted to the right people, often because "decisions were made without a reliable and comprehensive database and without an assessment of the effectiveness and sustainability of relevant policies, a gap that needs technical expertise."
She said government aimed to reduce poverty to a negligible level by 2015 and to reduce poverty to 5 percent of the population by 2020."Fiji is something of a dual economy with more than half of its labour force in the informal economy and relies mostly on private insurance and support from immediate and extended families and the local community," she said."However, social changes, migration and political upheaval meant the emergence of increasing numbers of people no longer supported adequately by traditional communal and extended family social structures and risk falling into destitution.
Mrs Luveni said government was serious about developing a strong, effective and efficient public sector ensuring services were delivered as scheduled.She said the poverty alleviation program provided clients with opportunities to support themselves."Moreover, we must have an effective social security scheme that will cater for our increasing aged population."
Mrs Luveni said government was serious about developing a strong, effective and efficient public sector ensuring services were delivered as scheduled.She said the poverty alleviation program provided clients with opportunities to support themselves."Moreover, we must have an effective social security scheme that will cater for our increasing aged population."
(o) Don’t Discard Workers at 55
Fiji’s decision to retire civil servants at 55 has not been supported by Meiji University's Professor Akira Nakamura. He said “55 is too young. It’s easy to fire, but you also have to think of some other ways to cover the post retirement jobs, otherwise you are really demoralizing public officials.” Nakamura was invited by the Fiji government to conduct a seminar for its senior staff as part of its civil service reform initiative.
About 2300 civil servants, including 776 teachers, who had reached the age of 55, retired on April 30 this year as a result of the decision by Government to cut the cost of running its workforce and channel more funds to capital projects. Some of the retirees were re-employed and signed new contracts in their specialized roles.
About 2300 civil servants, including 776 teachers, who had reached the age of 55, retired on April 30 this year as a result of the decision by Government to cut the cost of running its workforce and channel more funds to capital projects. Some of the retirees were re-employed and signed new contracts in their specialized roles.
4 comments:
Aquila Yabaki is a wonderful man - compassionate, inclusive and wise. He's easily the most thoughtful Fijian of his generation and always strives for outcomes that are just and fair for all citizens. The poor man has a terrible line to walk right now, struggling to strike a balance between respect for democratic values and acknowledging the uncomfortable truth that righteousness in contemporary Fiji sometimes rests with the dictatorship. It's a terrible shame that Aquila has been so marginalised in the Methodist Church, where he was a voice of moderation for so many years. His reward was to be branded a mateni, a drunk, just because he enjoyed the occasional glass of the amber fluid with convivial non believers at the Fiji Club. He's always been justly popular with many outside the church and for good reason. His brand of Christianity is that of humble and devout adherence to the teachings of the gospel while doing good in the world. It's in stark contrast to the self righteous Pharisees up at Centenary Church, whose tub-thumping extremism is at the heart of the nation's current crisis. May the Lord bless Aquila and his wonderful wife, Sue, as they strive for justice and reconciliation for all citizens. We're lucky to have them.
Well if the Tappoos have confidence in the Fiji economy, what have we got to worry about? Plenty, as it happens. Like all of the Gujarati elite, what's good for them is good for the rest of the country. The new Tappoo retail temple in Suva isn't a sign of a thriving economy for the nation as a whole. It says that the family is confident enough in the ability of the current regime to stay in power and help them make more money. We see elsewhere that the Tappoos have recently done much to boost the fortunes of our Attorney General by purchasing a Suva property he owns. The full details of this transaction haven't yet been revealed. But even if the critics are wrong to claim that it was at a vastly inflated rate, the most generous thing that can be said under the circumstances is that it isn't a good look. It's a sad fact for all their millions, these local business tycoons have never seen fit to devote some of their wealth to setting up charitable foundations and engaging in good works. It's always about money and influence, no matter who is in government, democrat or dictator.
They say nowadays that life begins at 50. Yet if you're a civil servant in Fiji, you've got just five good years before they throw you onto the scrap heap at 55. And no amount of viagra can free you from the grim realisation that you're a spent force. All my life in Fiji people have worried about what young people will do with their lives. Where, for instance, are we going to find enough jobs for everybody? Well now we've got another social problem; what to do with the army of over 55s now obliged to sit around doing nothing. These people are fit, smart and can still make a modest impression on the dance floor, even if the music's a bit old hat. What's going to happen when they get restless and bored? I don't know about you but I worry about walking around Suva late at night with all these super-educated ex civil servants rampaging around making a nuisance of themselves. We need to find ways to keep them off the streets so the rest of us can feel safe. We all know that as they get older, they just get worse. I shudder nowadays whenever I hear some smart arse say they plan to "age disgracefully". Most of the time they mean it. Yet another national crisis in the making. Will the nightmare ever end?
Frank is now 55 when will he retire.
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