Tossers behind the wheel
CITIZENS who mindlessly toss their rubbish often fail to realise the lethal consequence of their waste. Most roadside litter is caused by human behaviour, worsened by the absence of waste facilities in public with lack of civic pride. Should there be more accountability for drivers who throw rubbish from their cars? NAVNEET RAM (TD) Lautoka
FIFA president
I READ that the above president has congratulated Ba on its recent success. I wonder if he knows all too well if Fiji FA follows all FIFA rules and regulations and one of the rules does state that any team that plays 90 minutes soccer is to be given 72 hours rest. I guess this president is another “yes man” with the motto of “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours”. Did he congratulate our superhuman players who can play non-stop 90 minutes soccer every day for five days and on two consecutive weekends. May be OHS will look into this urgently and see what FIFA and Fiji FA blatantly cannot see — welfare of players. While on the welfare of players. I hope a compensation/insurance scheme is in place for injured players. Feel for that Tavua player. He got badly injured while on duty. Where is Fiji FA? And its big talk of player welfare and compensation. Or does it only cover super premier players and doesn’t cover senior division players. Fiji FA is very smart to mourn every player that passes away. But will never honour them when they are still alive. A. SHARIFF SHAH Savusavu, Fiji Islands
CRC report
FINALLY, the Government has tabled the Constitution Review Commission Report in Parliament, making it available for public consumption and scrutiny. While the correct approach has eventuated, the feedbacks, criticism or opinions on this vital report should definitely be allowed and paid close attention as to what can be amended. After all the constitution is the supreme law of our land which has to be scrutinised before the final outcome. There should be no rush for this very important document to be finalised. Certain recommendations by the Constitutional Review Commission are very important, which should be taken into consideration. I hope commonsense prevails. Once finalised, Fiji will be locked with these laws for a long time. Let’s do it right. KIRTI PATEL Lautoka
Governor praises performance
THE RBF Governor may go on and on praising RBF’s performance, but for ordinary people like us, it is meaningless (FT 22/09 ). Since pensions were reduced, many pensioners are suffering. I retired in 2015 at 55 years of age; withdrew all my FNPF; was getting 3 per cent interest on term deposit which was gradually reduced to 0.75 per cent. I ask RBF Governor, is this fair? Recently, USA Federal Reserve announced an increase in interest rates to a range of 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent ( September 16, 2026 CNN ). The reason for the increase – inflation. The Federal Reserve says this means higher yields on savings accounts; more expensive loans and credits etc etc (Google). But for us , lower interest rates mean cheaper loans and credits to businessmen and investors. Fiji’s middle class and poor make majority of the population. They are paid very low wages and salaries considering the inflation ($5 minimum wage rate ). To whom RBF and Government is giving financial security to? The rich or poor? RAKESH CHAND SHARMA Nadi
Disappointing performance
THE Extra Supermarket Bula Boys sit fourth on the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup competition points table with a point. The side was held to a 3-3 draw by Papua New Guinea in the first game after which they were beaten by Vanuatu 0-1. At home, the side wasn’t impressive so far. We have been missing goal scoring opportunities and have been poor defensively. So far, the side has conceded four goals. The side is yet to play the Solomon Islands, who lead the points table with four points, and New Caledonia, who are rooted to the bottom of the points table. The Solomon Islands will be the team to beat as they have set the pace and play with intensity and firepower. I hope that the Bula Boys will bounce back and regroup and prepare well before the two crucial games. We need to tighten our midfield and defensive structure. RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Balgovind, Nadawa, Nasinu
Start a trend
THIS is my plea to all Fijians. It is time we come together, put aside our differences and join hands in building our nation. For far too long have we criticised each other based on ethnicity and religion. We all have weaknesses, but imagine what this nation could achieve if everyone focused on making this nation great. Let’s put an end to the seed of hatred planted by our colonialists to divide and rule. Imagine looking at our children and pondering upon their future with the relationship we come across daily on social media and those LTEs that belittle our fellow Fijians. China, Japan, India and many other countries rose from ashes and are now powerful nations economically and militarily. Why can’t we rise up and build this nation where the world could say “Fiji, the way the world should be”. If Singapore could do it on her own from a fishermen’s village, we have greater potential and resources. We are unique and stand apart from the rest of the world. We smile for the cameras while wading through the flood waters. We joke and spoil one another’s actions and reactions during a storm while helping those in distress. I call upon our fellow Fijians overseas. Lend a hand and use your influence to improve our health facilities, better housing for the poor, employment for our youths. To our locals, please stop dumping those waste and dispose of it properly for the sake of our environment. Let’s start a trend for all citizens to clean up our roads and beaches for a day on a weekly basis, let’s say Saturday from 8am to midday. Don’t depend on our politicians. Let us rise up as Fijians and make Fiji great. Stop those condescending remarks and shout out ideas to take us forward. Stop those complaints and assist one another. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes its populace to build a nation. Fiji is our motherland weeping and bleeding for her children. Help a fellow Fijian and in return that Fijian should help another in need, spreading this trend like wildfire. Set. EDWARD KUMAR Lautoka
Temple ban
I HAVE been banned from Labasa Sikh Temple since 2011. I went to the Fiji Human Rights Commission and after an investigation, they wrote to me that this ban was initiated before the 2013 Constitution came in place so they can’t do anything. So may I ask the Fiji Human Rights, suppose I had killed somebody before the 2013 Constitution came into place I can use that as my defence and the murder charge has to be dropped? Could the Minster of Multi Ethnic Affairs talk to the management of Guru Nanak Schools and the Labasa Sikh Temple to lift this ban which has been there since 2011. The other option is for me to sue the temple and the management, but I do not want do it due to financial reasons. SUKHA SINGH Labasa
GCCs role
I LAUGHED so hard when I heard that the Great Council of Chiefs is to look after the interest and welfare of the iTaukei people. Sobo! WISE MUAVONO Hedstrom Pl, Balawa, Lautoka
Wage level
AFTER 20 years, minimum wage increased from $2 to $5 an hour while the salaries of politicians rose beyond 100 per cent. Why do politicians make workers earn poverty level wages while they stuff themselves with salaries beyond normal reasoning? DAN URAI Lautoka
Proxy benefits
INSTEAD of Fiji’s PM approaching Australian PM , Jan Nissar should approach Australian PM to compensate India and Fiji. Australian colony cities were partially built using looted Indian resources and valuables by the British. It is estimated that the British had siphoned off approximately $US45trillion (present value) from India. Australia had also benefited by its proxy colonial rule in Fiji. RAKESH CHAND SHARMA Nadi
Court storage
IT’S not the first time nor will it be the last time for drugs to be stolen after being seized to use as evidence. Common sense dictates that the best practise is to destroy bulk of the drugs after taking photographs and only retain a small sample for storage to be used in court if need be. Why do the authorities continue to store most of the drugs after photographing them instead of destroying the bulk? DAN URAI Lautoka
Taxi drivers under siege
THE recent sentencing of Isimeli Batibalei for the violent robbery and assault of Suva taxidriver Ravneel Chand is a sobering reminder that Fiji’s justice system is struggling to keep pace with the escalating violence on our streets. A man with 15 prior convictions – a habitual offender who has repeatedly cycled through the courts — has once again received a sentence that fails to reflect the gravity of his actions or the danger he poses to the public. Five years and four months, with a non-parole period of only three years, is not a deterrent. It is a temporary interruption in a long criminal career. In a nation grappling with rising violent crime, drug–fuelled offending, and increasing attacks on public–facing workers, this judgment does not reassure the community. It does not protect taxidrivers. It does not meet the moment. The brutality of the incident is undeniable. Batibalei and his accomplice hired Chand’s taxi, violently dragged him into the back seat, punched him twice, and abandoned him at the Valelevu bus stop. They fled with his phone, wallet, cards, and cash. The taxi was later found stripped of equipment worth $1350 — an enormous financial blow for any driver who depends on that vehicle to support a family. This was not opportunistic theft. It was a violent, co-ordinated attack on a working man simply trying to earn a living. Justice Daniel Goundar acknowledged the vulnerability of taxidrivers, stating that they have the right to work without fear of violence, detention, or dispossession. That statement is correct, but the sentence does not reflect it. Fiji’s taxidrivers have become frontline victims in a crime environment that is worsening by the year. They are robbed, assaulted, terrorised, and in some tragic cases, murdered. In recent years, drivers have been found locked in their own car boots, left for dead on the roadside, and brutally beaten during late–night hires. These are not isolated incidents – they form a pattern of escalating violence against a profession that keeps our cities moving. Batibalei’s 15 prior convictions are not just a statistic, they are a record of systemic failure. Previous sentences did not deter him. They did not reform him. They did not protect the public from him. When a habitual offender can violently restrain a taxi driver, steal a vehicle, and still receive a sentence that allows him to return to society in three years, the justice system sends a dangerous message: Repeat violent crime carries no meaningful consequence. In a crime–ridden nation, deterrence is not optional. It is essential. Sentencing must serve both punishment and prevention. When deterrence collapses, the justice system loses credibility. Communities lose confidence. Taxi drivers lose their sense of safety. And offenders lose any fear of consequence. This judgment must be a turning point. Fiji urgently needs legislative reform that empowers judges to impose harsher, deterrent–based sentences for repeat violent offenders. The law must recognise that habitual offenders are not merely misguided, they are dangerous. Non–parole periods must reflect the seriousness of the crime and the offender’s history. Aggravated robbery involving violence must carry stronger mandatory minimums. And the protection of taxi drivers must be treated as a national priority. This sentence does not deliver justice. It does not deter. It does not protect. Fiji deserves better, and our taxi drivers deserve far more than a justice system that continues to let them down. DR SUSHIL K SHARMA Lautoka
