Letters to the Editor – Sunday, May 31, 2020

Listen to this article:

Former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor Savenaca Narube. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU

Which governor

SIMON HAZELMAN is curious to know why we are getting instructions from former Reserve Bank governor Savenaca Narube regarding our economy (FT 30/05).

Firstly, if I may correct his assertion.

These are not instructions but well-grounded and pragmatic solutions to bail Fiji out of its current economic and social doldrums.

Just as you have called for a pay cut for PMs and public servants he has also offered his opinions and suggestions on the austerity measures that can be put in place to salvage our economy.

Given his credentials as the former governor of RBF and PS Finance I believe he is well qualified and adept than most of us in providing this advice to the government on such matters.

The thrust of which is to reduce our spending which is well within our control.

He has gone a step further to highlight the specific areas where the savings can be made to counter the impact of shortfall in revenue.

In other words the key to economic recovery is minimising our expenditure.

Thousands of workers have already lost their jobs and hundreds of businesses are on the brink of closing down as was revealed in Parliament this week.

The longer we delay the reforms the harder it will be to turn it around.

It is heartening to note that the Minister for Economy has urged everybody to work together.

However, we need to put our egos aside and come to the table with an open mind and heart to engage in meaningful dialogue.

SELWA NANDAN, Lautoka

Qorvis question

AT a time when Government cost-cutting measures are essential, one hopes that Qorvis has received the royal order of the boot.

There is absolutely no need for their presence in Fiji, or in fact has been, or for any organisation like them.

Cost savings will be substantial.

ALLAN LOOSLEY, Tavua

Act of the devil

AN act of God is a term used in legal circles throughout the English-speaking world.

I believe an act of God is a natural hazard outside human control.

Why can’t it be called an act of the devil?

ALLEN LOCKINGTON, Kava Place, Lautoka

At war

WE are at war.

The purported opponent is an Act of God.

So, are we at war with God?

MANOJ LAL PATEL, Drasa Avenue, Lautoka

Act of God

IT is with great curiosity that I have learnt a new phrase from our Parliament sitting — “act of God”.

Now I must remind everyone that COVID-19 is not a act of God.

This statement made by our A-G is just, well, hilarious.

I like the current government a lot and it is our Government, but I believe to state a virus is an “act of God” is a laughing matter.

Mr. Perfectionist got it wrong in Parliament this time around.

I believe it is us humans and China who are the creator of this virus.

No matter from which end of the court you hit the ball, I believe it will end up in China’s court.

COVID-19 originated from China and that is the fact.

I believe God has nothing to do with this.

God must be smiling at us humans because we do wrong things in life and blame God for it.

Well, if God has directed this movie then it is a super hit film.

I bet those rubbish piles near Nasinu once were God’s act also.

So I have learnt a new phrase, thanks to our A-G.

Now, when I fail in cooking and mess up my mum’s kitchen, I know whom to blame: “Act of God”.

AMRIT SINGH, Nausori

Another act of God

I CONSTRUE an “act of God” as any natural disaster beyond human control.

Hence, I am perplexed about how a pandemic caused by humans can be termed as an “act of God”.

Antecedently in recent history, we encountered pandemics such as black plague, Spanish flu, HIV, Ebola etc.

I wonder what they were termed as.

Interestingly, I believe most of the developed countries educe virology clandestinely for many reasons including biological warfare.

I leave the rest for conjecture.

RAVIND CHANDRA NAIDU, Labasa

Shocked me

I WAS completely shocked and very much appalled to hear Mr Sayed-Khaiyum blaming COVID-19 on God.

Why doesn’t Mr Sayed-Khaiyum blame the God of China where this pandemic started from?

Might it lead them to stop financing his government’s developments?

I believe it is man’s stupidity, negligence, audacity and greed that have all contributed to this pandemic.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum must know after that silly utterance that not everything he says is correct and we too, the silent but vigilant public will challenge him at times.

SULIASI. K. TAMANALEVU, Tailevu

Fast move

The Government seems to have moved with extraordinary haste in amending section 24 of the Employment Relations Act to include business disruptions from COVID-19 as an “act of God”.

This provides employers with a safety net to terminate employees without having to offer redundancies, especially in workplaces without collective agreements.

Ironic, isn’t it, that businesses, in attempting vigorously to remove God from a secularised workplace, still turn to Him when in trouble.

JAMES MASTAPHA, Evetts Place, Tamavua, Suva

Array
(
    [post_type] => post
    [post_status] => publish
    [orderby] => date
    [order] => DESC
    [update_post_term_cache] => 
    [update_post_meta_cache] => 
    [cache_results] => 
    [category__in] => 1
    [posts_per_page] => 4
    [offset] => 0
    [no_found_rows] => 1
    [date_query] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [after] => Array
                        (
                            [year] => 2023
                            [month] => 12
                            [day] => 28
                        )

                    [inclusive] => 1
                )

        )

)

No Posts found for specific category