Party leader Voreqe Bainimarama said FijiFirst will continue the reforms of the current government by strengthening existing laws and introducing new ones. Most importantly, it will reduce the impact of inflation and the rising cost of living, focus on poverty alleviation and improving the lives of all Fijians.
The full manifesto can be read on the FijiFirst website www.ff.com .
Here are some of the party's promises:
- Increase the electricity subsidy for low income families from the current 75 kw to 85kw to provide immediate relief to thousands of households.
- Provide 91,250 litres of free water per year to Fijian households earning less than $30,000.
- Continue to control the price of basic food items such as rice, flour, potatoes, dhal, cooking oil and pharmaceutical and medical products.
- Continue to place zero VAT on powdered milk, rice, edible, oil, tin fish, flour and other items.
- Provide 250ml of milk a day to children enrolled in class 1 at all primary schools from term 1 next year at a cost of $2.5m.
- Provide free medications under price control if prescribed by a doctor for people earning under $20,000 a year.
- Extend the current free education for primary and secondary student to pre-school students from the beginning of the second term in 2015
- Extend the tertiary Education Loan Scheme.
- Develop state land for squatter settlements and Taukei land if approved by its owner, giving squatters security of tenure and the incentive to improve their housing.
- Provide more assistance to help Taukei develop their land.
- Increase employer FNPF contributions to 10% while keeping employee contributions at 8%.
- Take control of all fuel imports, arrange cheaper bulk purchases by tender, and sell on to fuel retailers.
With GDP growth at 4.6% surpassing the 3.6% forecast, more political stability and investor confidence following the elections, the economy looks well placed to help Government deliver on these promises.
16 comments:
It is now the right time to come out in strong support of the AG and his Fiji First Party. Mr. Khaiyum is perhaps the only leader in Fiji who cares about poverty, price controls and subsidies. A vote for Fiji First is a vote for the first truly democratic party. Voting for Fiji First also prevents the next coup which is sure to come if the old racist, corrupt and incompetent parties get enough votes to stir up trouble.
Oh my God..they are doing so much for the poor. Stop it...Stop it!..I cannot take it..........lol
With the corrupt illegal junta, the prestigious and balanced junta rag the Fiji Sun and supporters like world renowned academics and thinkers Crosbie Walsh and Allen Lockington the future of Fiji as a failed state is assured.
Anonymous@10.12
The latest Tebbut Fiji Times poll - if its to be believed - would suggest that voters may well be considering other options. Perhaps the veneer is starting to thin a bit.
Time to bring Tikoitoga to justice. What mandate did Tikoitoga have to commit treason and overthrow a legitimately elected government in Fiji? What mandate did Tikoitoga have to send brave and courageous Fijian soldiers into Syria? How does he explain their surrender to Islamic terrorists? Who is manipulating this fool?
The facts: Fijian soldiers sent to Syria for peace keeping, In Syria rebel terrorists are trying to take over, One day while the rebels were riding around in their G-Hard armored four wheel drives, they decided to take some Fijians hostage because they need more money to buy more guns and stuff that go boom. Fijian soldiers are smart because they did not play hero and get their head blown off, they realize that its just business and if they fought back, shit'll get real. Plus they're supposed to be peace keepers. The government is doing everything possible to bring them back. There's no conspiracy, its just the middle east, SHIT HAPPENS. So you can leave that "bring Tikoitoga to justice" law and order bullshit with your little homies you play cops and robbers with. Lets cut the crap and focus on the facts, the economy is growing which means all of the little homies can get a job in the future and move out of their parents house.
What other realistic option do you have in mind that assures Fiji's future as a prosperous state? Please enlighten us with some brilliant analysis and well thought out argument.
@ AnonymousMonday, September 8, 2014 at 10:41:00 PM GMT+12
Give yourself an "upper-cu"t mate and prick the bubble that you're riding around in so you could see reality and stop politicising the incident in Syria. I was going to attempt to answer your questions but after reading your last three, I realised that I will not get a useful debate out of you-pun very intended.
Kalougata,
Ratu Naita
so whats the reality? tell us so we all can see what this reality of yours is like, where there people manipulating people, where there are unicorns out get us?
The reality is "stop crying over spilt milk", I like you disagree with the 2006 military coup but rather than trying to re-write the past by continuously "flogging the dead horse" which is never going to happen, people need to fight smarter to "out-strategise" Frank and FijiFirst. Sodelpa and other parties who are running against FijiFirst needed to come up with policies that appeals to people in the 20th century therefore taking into account of the fact that the intellectual demography of all Fijians have shifted for the better. The simple and continuous use of land and Fijian rights issues to win votes is not going to cut it anymore. Petty jibberish public taunting just makes politicians and everyone alike look foolish. Fiji now needs to discuss things of substance, to move the country forward. Going back to what occured in 2006 is not going to help albeit we must take the lessons from it. The bottom line is if you keep digging up 2006, be fair and go all the way back to 1987 and 2000 where apparently most SODELPA candidates have their hands "dirty" including the Roko Tui Dreketi. Don't be selective.
As for the question in regards to what mandate Tikoitoga had to send soldiers to Syria, I am not going to start because I need you to have some basic understanding of how this decisions are made. Because it is not the Commander RFMF's decision just like any country in the world when it comes to sending soldiers on peacekeeping duties or conventional warfare in any case.
Sa dri yani.
I'm saying vote for FijiFirst because they are capable of leading this country, I never said I disagreed with the 2006 coup because that was what needed to be done, and it was done by people who had the guts to risk all they had to do what was right instead of staying in the background and spreading rumors and lies like SDL in 2000. Why don't you have the guts to say what you think Tikoitoga's mandate was instead of changing the subject? and who do you think is "manipulating this fool"/
Tikoitoga as Comd RFMF (or any other Comd) in any case, does not have authority (nor mandate) to send soldiers to any deployment. The request to send Fijian soldiers comes from the organisation that heads that specific mission for example UN for UNIFIL, UNDOF, Iraq mission and MFO for the Sinai mission. The request comes from this body directly to the government who then in consultation with RFMF makes the final decision. Usually the cabinet is the one that has the mandate not Comd RFMF. In the case of UNDOF, the current military regime gave the approval to the then Comd RFMF (current PM). This transaction occurs in NZ, Australia, Canada etc and other democratic country.
As for your question ref "manipulating this fool", I lost you there. Am not sure who the fool is.
Kalougata
Anon @ 10:41 PM above......As Commander RFMF, Tikoitoga is a public servant PERIOD. He does not make autonomous decisions on matters of foreign policy off the top of his head, just coz his wife prepared his breakfast one morning with the eggs not served sunny side up! It is the Government that decides what the national interest is and what its foreign policy priorities should be. The deployment of RFMF to Syria was a Government decision NOT Tikoitoga's!!!
When did Tikoitoga commit treason by overthrowing a democratically elected government in Fiji?
What you smoking bro?
Bill 'The Kid" Wadely
Rockhampton QLD
So our soldiers in the Golan have been released unharmed. This shows the insurgents have a lot of respect for the Fijians and had no intentions to harm them. The Fijians can now deal with all sides of the Syrian conflict with restraint and neutrality...unlike the Filipino's who made it an issue of regimental ride and killed three of the insurgents. The Filipino's are scared shitless that the insurgents will retaliate and have decided to pull out of the Golan in October to safeguard their troops there. I wonder what that scumbag posting as Anon @ 10:41 8 Sep 2014 now thinks?
It seems fairly certain (now, at this writing, early on Friday morning, Fiji time) that FF will be able to form a majority government and govern in its own right.
May it govern well.
I have argued before--and will argue again now--that Fiji's Army needs to be treated well, beefed up, better paid, better equipped. The new government should establish a state of the art, 21st century, Military training Academy/Defense Think Tank. For this effort Fiji should not rely on Australia, New Zealand or the US. This does not mean that Australia, New Zealand and US sources of ideas should be ignored. In these matters China has a lot to offer so Chinese sources of assistance ought to be tapped. So should Indian sources. Defense and military training initiatives ought to be high on the new government;s list of priorities.
Justification: The Fijian Army is vital to Fiji's domestic stability and the first and last line of defense in guarding our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Indeed. And its well trained personnel will also be sought after resource of high quality for overseas deployments which would provide jobs (UN peace keepers, UK etc) for military personnel, give them exposure & and cross-training on a global platform, earning them good money which they bring back into the country, and promote Fiji all over the world show casing our military institution. A great win win for Fiji.
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