Congratulations Fiji Airways
I must congratulate and compliment the management and staff of Fiji Airways for scooping the Best Airline Staff in Australia Pacific. Furthermore, our attendants have been ranked among the top 20 in the world in the Skytrax Best Airline Cabin Crew awards. In addition, Fiji Airways was awarded the coveted Skytrax 4-Star rating at the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards in Paris. It delighted me to read that our national airline beat out Air New Zealand, Qantas and Virgin Australia. All these have been made possible with the vision of providing a caring and an improved service on board and for the hard yards taken to ensure customer service was paramount. Hats off to the Fiji Airways team (led by the managing director and CEO Andre Viljoen) for making it possible and for enhancing high standards! Thank you The Fiji Times for the colourful picture of the victorious team (F/T 20/06)! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Better explain
I believe the comment made by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Mahendra Reddy, that the Prime Minister is the only person who can explain the GDP better, is an understatement and very degrading. Furthermore, I just do not understand the reason he gave when justifying his bold statement as highlighted in The Fiji Times 19/06/19. Dr Reddy said and I quote, “There is no one in this House who has more knowledge then the honourable Prime Minister on climate change and its patch on the national output, our GDP.” In addition he said that the PM had represented Fiji at the world’s highest forums over the past three years. Please allow me to voice my personal opinion on Dr Reddy’s argument which does not seem to make sense for me, especially when he was linking the knowledge of climate change and attending highest forums to being the only one who can explain GDP better than anyone else. I do sincerely believe that there are Fijians who can equally or better explain GDP than the PM. Kositatino Tikomaibolatagane Vuninokonoko Rd, Navua
Budget issue
So much said over the budget but little to nothing will change. What amuses me the most is that come the beginning of next week, the said budget will remain and all this debating will just become a thing of the past! It’ll simply end up with 27 ayes and 24 nos or 24 ayes and 27 nos! Once again the Opposition is making no difference? It was merely an exercise to waste time and money. Politics in such a situation is indeed a joke. Life moves on for the rest of us. Simon Hazelman Rava Estate, Savusavu
Dog trapping
I note the timetable produced for dog trapping and awareness procedures around the country. With all due respect to those involved and their genuine efforts I don’t see this program achieving very much. In order to judge effectiveness I would expect each area to release to the media the number of dogs trapped/day and what eventually happens to them. Not being an expert in dog sexual behaviour, I judge each bitch capable of producing 12 puppies/annum. No need to comment further except to illustrate the scale of the problem. Every year we kill hundreds of thousands of cows, pigs, goats, sheep, fowl of all types etc., for the table. These animals are rarely dangerous to humans. Many are slaughtered inhumanely particularly in rural areas. Yet we still want to use every effort to keep nuisance dogs alive. Most of my 72 years I have kept dogs as part of my family and cared for them well. Most have been spayed bitches, and are much more docile than their male counterparts. Allan Loosley Tavua
Toso Nadro toso
As a kai Sabeto, born and raised in Nadi, and a retiree, I have a duty and pleasure to back the Nadroga Stallions as they take on the might of unbeaten Capital City side Suva in the Skipper Cup final on Saturday, with every respect. For the pride and glory of the whole Western Division we can only pray and wish for every ounce of discipline, courage, strength and truest teamwork as you attempt to wrest this coveted rugby silverware back to your Nadroga, Navoha and Nahigatoka home. Mutou na haravou Nahigatoka. Waqe vina. Waqe havahava. Waqe kaikai. Me lemutou na qaqa ena macawa kohile. Ronnie Chang Nadi
Welcoming party
Qorvis has overstayed its welcome: MP Gavoka (FT 20/6). Pardon my ignorance but who welcomed Qorvis into the country in the first place, when and why? What is its benefit to the Fijian public at a cost of $1 million allocated to it in the national budget 2020? Why does Fiji depend on a foreign “communications organisation” five decades after independence? What happened to the much talked about notion of cultivating “homegrown”? RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia
National pride
WE love our sports and we have seen on TV how other countries cheer for their team. This brings in a sense of national pride for them and I feel we should also have a cheering slogan. I would suggest that we have something like “Fiji, Fiji, Fiji — Toso, toso, toso”. One side or one person will start the first part and the rest will say the second. This is my suggestion and others may have their own. So let’s start something to bring back our national pride. NARDEO MISHRA, Suva
Those stripes
AS he wished, Roy Krishna’s glittering soccer career is taking him back to his roots in India. Although he has changed countries and continents, those stripes just do not want to leave him. His journey started with the red and white stripes of Labasa.
In New Zealand, it was the black and yellow stripes. Now it is the red and white stripes again. Those stripes and his roots
are in tandem. MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF, Natabua, Lautoka
Stray dogs
I would like to commiserate with victims of the stray dog attack recently reported by the various media outlets. It is sad indeed that such young people should be attacked, although no one really should suffer from dog attacks. The aged, children and females are most vulnerable to such attacks because the animals pick them out as soft targets. We at the College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry along with our stakeholders, including the SPCA, Animals Fiji, Ministry of Agriculture, Vinaka Fiji and our overseas collaborator, Charles Sturt University, have done our bit to control the population of stray dogs in the past few years. This has largely involved desexing, in the form of spaying and neutering. As has been rightly observed by another commentator, desexing makes the animals, especially the males, less aggressive but it also controls the population of the dogs in a humane way. Dogs are litter-bearers, so their population can rapidly increase, if not checked. It is commonplace for caring dog owners to desex them, so that their population can be controlled as well as make them more friendly. For stray and wild populations, desexing is the best option for population control. I would like to advise the public to take precautions as this is one of the breeding seasons of dogs in Fiji and other areas in the southern hemisphere. Male dogs are more aggressive during the breeding season because of an increase in the level of the male hormone, testosterone. Females may be less violent but one should also be wary of them as their behaviour changes markedly. These changes in behaviour could include aggression to other dogs (especially male-to-male) and the public, who the dogs wrongly perceive to be in their way. The dogs also become less aware of their environment, making them more vulnerable to vehicular accidents, and some dogs chase after cars for no clear reasons. The public should avoid spots where large numbers of dogs are gathered, since they could suddenly begin to fight and will target anything in the vicinity. Also, avoid charging at them, since animals in such situations tend to fight back. If a dog suddenly charges, do not run away; it is quite unlikely that you will be faster. Rather, stand your ground and try to scare it away; use an umbrella or anything you can lay your hands on. The dog breeding season is short and will be over probably in a matter of a few more days to a couple of weeks. The dogs will behave in more normal way again and will become less aggressive and erratic. However, the population of stray and wild dogs is way too high in Fiji and longer-term measures are required. The College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will assist the government in whatever way to manage the process. It is one of the benefits of having the Veterinary Science program in Fiji. Our more senior students have already been trained to desex animals and have participated in one or two desexing programs with staff and students from Charles Sturt University, Australia. We are willing to put their training to the good use of the community. Prof Paul Iji FNU, Nausori
Budget debate
After watching the parliamentary debate, I can understand why FijiFirst wants a short parliamentary session. Dan Urai Lautoka
Dream run
Hats off to the Indian cricket team for another convincing win against Pakistan and remaining unbeaten at this year’s Cricket World Cup. Boy, India is emerging as a hot contender for the cup! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Street names
I was walking down memory lane at Namaka when I came across two street names that do not look right to me. Togotogo Lane and Delano Rd. I believe Togotogo should be Totogo and Delano should be Delana. Can the relevant authority please take action? Thank you. Vili Yaranamua Tamavua, Suva
Debate scenes
I watched the debate in regards to the budget and found it too boring. It seems that the Opposition, 90 per cent, ask questions for the sake of their allowances. There are hardly any follow-up questions. It seems someone prepared their statements just before they entered the Parliament. Common guys, do your research for the sake of taxpayers and make it lively. Thank you honourable Speaker for the tickling when the boring gets going. Usaia Tagi Delainavesi
Stray taxis
Brother Anthony, you forgot to mention the “stray taxis” that are plying their trade all over Fiji. From the matchbox now to nine seaters, it must be a lucrative industry. And the pirate videos, oh that’s another story. Allen Lockington Kava Place, Waiyavi, Lautoka
Parking meters
I don’t think councils at present have any powers to charge a levy on cars parked at the parking meters that are not working. I think they also have no powers to remove the vehicle or limit their time of parking. I think nothing can be done to the occupiers until the meters are fixed. Two hundred parking meters each paying say $10 per day would raise $499,200 annually. Now if the meters are not working, you can figure out the loss yourself. Some people do take undue advantage of the situation. Therefore, I feel the situation must be kept in check all the time. Suresh Chand Nadi
The coups
2 x 1987 NCDs. 2000 — Y2K, perhaps. 2006? BBB? Big, Bada, Boooom? Hehe. MANOJ LAL PATEL Drasa Ave, Lautoka
