Ports Performance
Your paper has reported about Fiji Ports Corporation Limited’s Net Profit After Tax of $27.75million in 2023, an increase of 7 per cent from 2022.
I will not re-tell the news here. What I will say though is that FPCL has continued to punch above its weight through the years despite the limited capacity of its ageing port infrastructure. CEO Vajira Piyasena has talked about FPCL’s ability to navigate global recessionary and inflationary pressures, compounded by geopolitical tensions.
During the height of COVID, our ports remained almost fully operational, and continued paying dividends to Government. Sometimes I wonder how FNPF managed to pay out a five per cent interest to us when most of FNPF’s tourism investments were not bearing fruit. When most planes were grounded at the time, our ports provided the much needed lifeline, keeping the food and other goods coming in and exports going out.
Sound policies and resilience played a key role. In my opinion, FPCL deserves special recognition for what they are achieving within the limitations of the current infrastructure. Imagine what is possible with the Rokobili site fully transformed into a modern facility!
Donald Singh Suva
Farewell Parmesh
Parmesh Chand the Permanent Secretary and Ambassador-Designate to Japan, and I went to University of Queensland together. We stayed at the International House on campus. We got on very well. That was in 1984-85.
I had not met him since, but interestingly I ran into him at South Seas Club in Lautoka in May this year, some 40 years later. He had obviously just enjoyed the world’s best duck curry at the club.
We had a bit of a catch up for five minutes and exchanged phone numbers as he had other commitments. Parmesh called me a week or so later to arrange a catch up; however, I had returned to Sydney by then.
We were going to meet up again early in July during my next visit to Fiji, however, he did not answer my call or my message. I was going to catch up with him in Japan in October during my visit to Tokyo. However, I now realise he must have fallen ill that is why he did not return my call.
Life is short and I wish we had spent a longer time catching up on 40 years, but it was not to be.
My sincere condolences to the family. May God open the gates of Heaven and may Parmesh rest in peace.
Jan Nissar Sydney, Australia
Premier league
THE Extra Premier league is certainly full of mana magic with the top spot see saw battle between Rewa and Labasa a real Tiger v Lions jungle battle.
Both teams are neck to neck with leads changing every week. Lautoka Blues are now also in the hunt with seven points behind and can leap frog the Tiger v Lion battle only if both Rewa and Labasa start losing their remaining four games. Navua also has a slight mathematical advantage but the real cat fight is between the Babasiga Lions and the Delta Tigers. The jungle fight takes a break from this week for two weeks with the focus now on the BOG but believe you me post this tournament the cat fight will start again with four rounds to go. After a long time we are seeing an intense battle between the top two. Joka dina, soccer is the winner and thanks to Extra, this is extravagant soccer at its best. Vacava tacina, kon roki cat fight koi roko?
Shalwyn Prasad Mukta Ben Place, Nabua, Suva
State funeral
ONCE the three-wheeler Coalition Government gives the greenlight to hold a state funeral for the late artist, every Tom, Dick and Harry icons will also expect to be accorded the same.
AREKI DAWAI Suva
Recycling initiative
JOHN Ah Tong shows the empty bottles he collected in Sigatoka Town (Picture: Baljeet Singh FT 28/7). The bottle buy back is a good initiative. The huge amount of empty drink bottles makes one wonder if Fijians have gone American! No more draunimoli and sherbet these days!
Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
Coincidence or what?
A LOT of things, both good and very bad, are happening in the Northern Division.
All our top leaders now are from the Northern Division.
A coincidence, perhaps?
Jan Nissar Sydney, Australia
Corporal punishment
IN the ’70s to the ’90s, corporal punishment was one way of disciplining children either at home or in school. If one was punished from school and if we inform our parents either we get a telling off or another punishment. I think our parents and teachers then were so strict which had moulded us to achieve greater things in life. Watching the kids of today, I would say our parents and teachers saved our lives.
Juki Fong Chew Nadawa, Nasinu
Bank of Dave
Thank you Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa (ST 27/7) I watched both, Bank of Dave and Bank of Dave 2 movies. Really nice movies and the lessons and insights to be learnt by the movie is immense.
A must see movie for all bankers.
Vijay P Madhavan Borron Rd, Suva
NFP for the future
NFP leader Professor Biman Prasad’s claim that NFP “remains a very formidable party” (ST 27/7), will be tested at the next election given the perception the people have of the performance of the NFP in the Rabuka Coalition Government. We don’t have too long to wait to find out whether what Professor Biman claims is true or just a self-congratulatory navel gazing assertion.
Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
TAHIR ALI HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND IT’S sad to read in The Fiji Times (20/7) that Guru Dayal, Ramesh Prasad and Rup Narayan toiled on their cane farm to earn a decent living but failed to get paid accordingly. They were simply informed of the low sugar content in the cane. I always thought we had enough sunshine in the cane belt for quality sugar, unlike what we had in Rewa when the CSR mill was closed in 1959. I feel in some cases, alternative crops like rice, kava and cash crops should be considered in accordance with climate change environments. We all need to make some contributions in whatever way we can to save our environment. Control on rubbish disposal and smoke emission could be a way to deal with this. Let’s save the world to save ourselves to save the future generations. Saving environments and the economy go together.
EDWARD BLAKELOCK PACIFIC HARBOUR SEEN on more than one occasion. Correction Services vehicles speeding through town with sirens blazing and stopping traffic on busy workday mornings. That privilege is only for police, fire engines and official motorcades, as far as I know. So what’s the emergency here? If it’s taking prisoners to court, that’s been done before without all the hoopla! Seems like a blatant misuse of privileges.
