Short Briefs: Air Pacific, Support for Bainimarama Grows, Reforms, Rural Development

Air Pacific Expects a Substantial Loss for the 2009-10 year due mainly to the severe flooding in 2009, the devaluation of the Fiji dollar as they had to purchase goods and services from abroad,  and discount air fares because of competition in the market, whichi is now the the biggest challenge. Among positive developments, the airline has doubled the number of passengers carried over the last 9 years, from 415,000 in 2001 to over a million.

Bainimarama's Increasingly Popularity. A little bird in Suva tells me the "PM is so popular now he would likely win an election were one to be called." There's no way to confirm this, of course, but the list of government actions helping ordinary people continues to grow, as does the spate of traditional apologies and support for the People's Charter. 

Public Sector & Land Use the Most Important  Structural Reforms. Fiji’s EU Ambassador Peceli Vocea, in a meeting with EU President Herman Van Rompuy in which he updated the President on the Government Roadmap, said public sector and land use reforms were the two most important structural issues facing Government. Other matters discussed were last week's IMF visit, EU-funded assistance with Fiji’s fish exports, the signing of the interim Economic Partnership Agreement that ensured trade with the EU, particularly on sugar, continued without disruption. Rompuy said EU dialogue with Fiji would continue. He was hopeful an earlier resolution of the political problems could be found.

New Nursing Station for Nawaikama, Gau. The PM opened the new station during his tour of Lomaiviti-i-Cake last week. The station,  that includes accommodation for nurses, is a  a self-help project supported by AusAid. The village contributed $10,000, AusAid $54,774 and Government will take over running costs. Tourists wanting something special when they visit Fiji are invited to check out http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/katetravel/fiji_project/tpod.html this Nawaikama blog.

Also on Gau, Bainimarama accepted the traditional apology from the people of the Tikina Narocake. He  said a Government priority was to bring about "change" to those that really need it. Life had come to a standstill for most of them, as no one brought about the changes they needed. Only two [of five?] villages in Gau, namely Sawaieke and Vione, accepted the People's Charter. It is hard to change the mindset of elders who have lived through past Governments and do not accept change as they listened to the Church and the Chiefs.He stressed that  Government is willing to work together with the leaders of the Church and the Chiefs, to work out ways to bring about prosperity.

New Handicraft Centre on Kioa Island. The island, off south-eastern Vanua Levu,  and  the home of Polynesians resettled from Vaitupu in Tuvalu at the end of World War II, now has a  centralized location where all villages  can trade their handicrafts to tourists. The initiative was funded by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation. Minister Dr Jiko Luveni said the "dream project" will provide a big boost to local people’s economic requirements. Other centres are being constructed at other places such as Tacirua village near Suva, Lomaivuna in Naitasiri, Waikubukubu village in Ba and Nayau in Lau.