No funds SURESH CHAND NADI ON Sunday, April 5, I participated in the Sangam soccer tournament at King Charles Park in Nadi, alongside a substantial audience of spectators. My main objective was to document the exhilarating conclusion of the Super Premier live, and I can assert that it was indeed worthwhile. However, in the afternoon, a heavy downpour occurred unexpectedly, catching many individuals unprepared in the pavilion. To exacerbate the situation, significant leaks became apparent in various sections of the stadium, leaving numerous attendees ill equipped for the sudden rain. I bring this matter to light to inquire why the pavilion has not undergone a thorough inspection and why the issue of leakage remains unaddressed. It appears that the council is aware of this persistent problem yet has not taken any substantial measures. This incident highlights a troubling deficiency in the council’s oversight processes—such a significant issue should have been resolved long ago. I have been informed that the council lacks the financial resources to rectify the situation. What a shame!
Electricity bill DINESH KUMAR BA THE 5.91 cents surcharge approved by the Government on Thursday evening has increased the residential electricity tariff from 34.01 cents to 39.92 cents per kilowatt hour. While the Government has announced that the increase in bus fares and subsidies for customers earning below $30,000 annually will be fully absorbed, this seemingly suggests that those earning $30,001 and above are expected to shoulder the burden without consideration. Interestingly, there has been no clear mention of any corresponding surcharge on business customer tariffs. This raises an important question; are ordinary residential consumers once again being treated as the easiest source of revenue collection while larger entities remain comparatively untouched? One cannot help but conclude that, in the eyes of policymakers, financial hardship appears to end rather conveniently at the $30,000 income mark; a truly remarkable achievement in economic reasoning.
Nasekula gets trash boom! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM NADAWA, NASINU HONOURABLE Lynda Tabuya walks the talk. Our environment minister has been in the Friendly North and has got down to business. Thanks to Nacanieli Tuilevuka (FT: 22/05), she was spotted at the Nasekula River in Labasa during the launch of the 13th trash boom in Fiji and the first boom for the Northern Division. It’s a relief for the Northerners that a trash boom has been installed at the Nasekula River as parts of efforts to stop waste from flowing into the ocean and protect Fiji’s marine environment. The Nasekula River is a vital component of the ecosystem and needs to be protected. The marine habitats living there also need to be protected so the installation of the trash boom is the way forward as trash booms intercept and collect floating debris like plastic waste, leaves, bags and bottles. By trapping large debris, water blockages that cause flooding can be reduced. Trash booms help reduce plastic pollution and enhance water conservation efforts and are flexible and easy to maintain. Generally, they are valuable tools in combating plastic pollution and protecting natural waterways. Good job, Hon Lynda Tabuya!
Organic food TAHIR ALI HAMILTON, NZ ARVIN Mani emphasises on the use of organic food to avoid a “Pill for every ill” (F18/4). Home grown organic food is the natural medicine to fight against any disease . Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
Voter fatigue RAJEND NAIDU SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA AFTER being denied their democratic right to vote for their local council representatives for two decades, how can voters have “voter fatigue”, which is one of the reasons given by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for the sudden deferment of municipal elections even though the Fiji Elections Office has declared all system is set to go for the scheduled election in September. So Mr Rabuka appears to have advanced a rather curious reason for the deferment. Many believe it’s a spurious reason and are left wondering what is the real reason?
Facts and facts-based! CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN PERTH, AUSTRALIA GOOD journalism deals in facts and fact-based moral judgement, and the Guardian newspaper is an exemplar. Here is what it’s editorin-chief, Katharine Viner, wrote in a long article last week (Guardian, 15 May). “Part of our job is to connect our global audience together, not by flattening the world out and presenting the bland view from nowhere, but by illuminating many somewheres. And what is striking is just how much these somewheres have in common, despite all their rich idiosyncracies.” And no better illustration of it than columnist Nesrine Malik’s Opinion piece two weeks earlier, about UK PM Keir Starmer (Guardian, May 1). “The broad conclusion is that Starmer is now beyond rehabilitation, and his fate only a matter of time. So what now? The answer is drift: the state of an aimless, scandal beset government. This has been building for some time, and has now been accelerated by a scandal that won’t end. And so we enter the zombie era… “A zombie government is distracted, listless, unambitious and uncreative. “Zombie prime ministers take two routes when it comes to governance. The first is to try to force their relevance by announcing attention grabbing red meat policies…The second is to do nothing at all… “Whichever route Starmer takes, the result is a public contemptuous of an absent government embroiled in remote scandal or irrelevant policy making. Here is the dysfunctional feudalism that Alexis de Toqueville describes in his book on the French aristocracy. The Old Regime and the Revolution. He argues that the French nobility clung to their privileges long after they’d abdicated the duties that conferred their legitimacy — and it was that abdication that triggered revolution. “Starmer is a figure who represents that political nobility. But long before his own premiership began, we had entered the age of zombie politics, one compounded by those drift eras that came before, defined by political leaders who felt entitled to power and yet failed to leverage politics for material ends. All ‘idiosyncracies’ aside, Malik’s particular ‘somewhere’ resembles clearly ‘somewhere’ else.
Climate reality FLOYD ROBINSON MICRONESIA WHILE Pacific Island countries are strongly advocating for increased access to climate finances to support priority adaptation efforts, there is an important reality that is often overlooked. Most climate funding is delivered through projects with fixed timelines, within which objectives must be achieved and funds fully utilised. However, for these resources to be effective, it is equally critical that our national systems, particularly procurement, human resources, and financial management policies are fit for purpose. These systems must be flexible and accommodating to enable the timely use of external climate finance in accordance with funding agreements. Without such alignment, we risk facing situations where funds remain underutilised, or worse, must be returned to donors due to implementation delays and administrative bottlenecks. In summary, while the urgent need for increased climate finance in the Pacific is undeniable, it is just as important for us to strengthen and streamline our internal policies and procedures. Doing so will ensure timely approvals, efficient implementation and full utilisation of funds within the agreed timeline. Ultimately, this will maximise the impact of climate investments for our vulnerable communities.
EFL ‘threat’ DAN URAI LAUTOKA Watching international news, we learn how countries like China and Australia have invested in solar farms, converting sunlight into solar energy. Private homes are encouraged to install solar equipment on their roofs to utilise natural and free sunlight. Yet in Fiji I believe the EFL discourages setting up solar farms. Consumers are now threatened with planned black outs. Government should wake up and not allow the only electricity supplier in the country to hold it to ransom despite receiving subsidies.
Drug trade TAHIR ALI HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND IT’S good to note that Fiji’s security forces are operating in full force to eradicate this trade. Leaders in communities always emphasised that a drug free future Fiji is a collective responsibility aiming to protect youth and traditional values. Parents play a major role. That matters most. “If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and not as much money.” – Abigail Van Buren.
Vuda project DAN URAI LAUTOKA NATURE Fiji (NGO) have shown an analysis of why Fiji as a nation is not ready to accept the intended Vuda waste generator project. I believe ashes from the project will only be dumped into the sea, destroying all corals not only in the Vuda shores but will spread to the Mamanuca and Yasawas, killing all corals and turning reefs barren, having an adverse effect on all source of fish and seafood currently supplied by the numerous reefs surrounding the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups. The thought is scary. I have confidence that our government will not agree to a such a project that will harm the livelihood of its own people.
