Waste-to-energy project RAJEND NAIDU SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA SOME letter writers point out Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said his government remained committed to progressing the project to install a mega waste-toenergy incinerator plant in Vuda. If so, then this was a done deal and now they are merely going through the motion to say they followed the procedure to arrive at the decision — the predetermined decision. We recall before the decision to grant a sevenyear tax exemption to the billionaire American owners of a water company in Fiji, PM Rabuka had gone to meet them. Now in the Vuda project, I believe, he reportedly also met with the billionaire, Australian developer Ian Maclauf who is behind the project. PM Rabuka has a long history of pulling wool over the eyes of the Fijian people.
Highway nightmare A SHARIFF SHAH SAVUSAVU CAN the relevant authorities please keep the road reserves clean and clear on our highways, especially on the Labasa, Savusavu, Buca Bay, Natewa and Nabouwalu routes. It’s a driver’s nightmare to safely navigate them. Night driving is even worse without clear markings in some places. Potholes appear to be a permanent problem. Now there is the problem of grass/bushes on these roads. They are covering about one-third of each lane. Road to safely drive on is barely four metres in most places. Then there are tree branches that graze big trucks. Most of the oncoming vehicles are on the wrong lanes because of this. I won’t know about other locations around the country but the above routes were never like this before. I wonder why and what’s the wait for?
Long distance races MOSES FONG SUVA A BIT late now but I hope there can be improvements made in the long distance races at the Coca-Cola Games that start today. During the 800m race for example, there comes the time when those at the outer lanes can change lanes to get to the shortest route towards the finishing line. I have seen in the past that when runners come to this point of the race, some race officials move too far inward, in the way of the runners trying to remind, urge them to merge into the inner lanes. This results into slowing them down a bit. The shortest distance for those on the outer lanes is the straight line from that point to the corner where lane one turns. By trying to cross over to the inner lanes soonest adds more distance to cover. It would help all around if the race officials do not get in the way at such point of the game.
No rocket science DONALD SINGH NAUSORI WE seem to be scared of taking the harshest possible action on the drug traders. They seem to be free to poison, hurt and kill people, and also run through checkpoints. However, our police force must follow proper and socalled humane procedures when dealing with the drug traders. I’m glad that things are slowly changing, especially with the army now joining the fight against the drug pandemic. I still don’t believe that death sentences would be appropriate. At the same time, I believe the police-army collaboration should be given unlimited powers and a free hand in the execution of their job. If the interrogation process itself scares the crap, sometimes the breath out of criminals, who would want to wait for the legal process to run a cumbersome marathon to decide how to dispose of these people! Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua needs our support. No amount of consoling words will ease his grief. However, the nation standing with him will give him comfort. Today, his daughter is our daughter, our sister, our comrade. The USA has been dropping missiles on drug boats recently. We also have to make their lives miserable with zero heart, if they continue living.
A profound tragedy SURESH CHAND NADI THE report regarding the nine fishermen who remain unaccounted for is truly distressing. These fishermen went missing after departing from Vatuwaqa Bridge in Suva on April 22 for a diving expedition near Kadavu. It has now been eight days since their disappearance. In a heartbreaking turn of events, a mariner discovered their partially submerged fiberglass boat south of Vunaniu Bay, Serua, with no survivors visible. The Fiji Navy, in collaboration with Northern Air (DQ-NAS) and Joyce Aviation (DQ-MED), promptly initiated aerial surveys and search operations in the area. However, as days have passed without any new leads, the mission has shifted from search-and-rescue to the somber task of search-andrecovery. The fishermen, residents of Nanuku Settlement in Suva, represent an irreplaceable loss for their families and community. Many were the primary breadwinners, relying on fishing as a vital source of income to sustain their loved ones. Their disappearance has brought immense emotional anguish and uncertainty, leaving their families grappling with an unsettling future. For these families, the ocean was not merely a resource — it was a lifeline, an integral part of their survival that has now been tragically severed. The Fiji Navy and the police have expressed their gratitude to local communities for their vigilance and support during the search efforts. They continue to urge coastal residents to report any sightings of debris or information that could assist in the recovery process. Meanwhile, the families of the missing fishermen cling to a fragile hope as they navigate the weight of this devastating loss. We continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers for their safe return.
Municipal elections ANTHONY SAHAI LEVUKA, OVALAU OPPOSITION MP Alvick Maharaj alleged that one of the major issues hindering development up north is that, “some of the special administrators and some ministers think they own Labasa Town”. (FT 29/04) With the Municipal Election scheduled to be held in September, business operators should not be eligible to contest such in order to not only address same, but to invalidate or nullify potential situations of conflict of interest.
Copycat writers WISE MUAVONO BALAWA, LAUTOKA IF writers of Letters to the Editor use an AI tool like ChatGPT, are they crossing the line of plagiarism or is it just an ethically questionable practice? It is sad when reading some write-ups and I can sense the use of ChatGPT because AI often leaves behind a specific linguistic fingerprint. Or “idiolec” as we say in Lau. If you are someone who utilises an AI tool, you are an unoriginal writer. You are a copycat. Sobo!
Electricity costs NARAYAN REDDY LAUTOKA AVERAGE cost to build a 300 mega watt power plant is approximately $U600million. Coal cost approximately $US132 per metric tonne, coal needed to produce 660 Megawatt power plant will use roughly about 2900 tonnes per day costing an average $US382800 a day. $US13972200 a year. Fiji’s current peak demand is 200 Megawatts according to EFL. If Fiji was not part of COP 31, it would be easy to burn coal for electricity rather than the waste to energy plant. Our neighbours, New Zealand and Australia both export coal as it would have been cheaper. It is better to burn coal for electricity then some random rubbish imported.
Doubts rectified SARITA LAL MALOLO ST, LAUTOKA THE informative article by Dr Sushil K Sharma, a professional contributor in this newspaper, has our doubts rectified over why the landowners or iTaukei have been classed as those living in poverty.
Overtime payments ANTHONY SAHAI LEVUKA, OVALAU GOVERNMENT has approved a temporary increase of 50 per cent in social welfare payments, to a tune of approx $26million in total, from May to July, 2026. Awesome. Meanwhile, medics/health workers in Fiji, are owed an estimated back-log $1.7million in unpaid overtime. Let us pray.
