Puamau grounding
The recent grounding and loss of the Fiji Navy ship, RFNS Puamau is attracting many comments. As a captain of some 50 years plus, and also a pilot of more than 40 years, I would suggest that any board of inquiry look carefully at the factors common to these groundings:
Years of operating in the waters of Fiji, have taught us never to enter island lagoons through narrow passages with an outgoing rip tide; Many of these passages run at 5/6 knots during their peak and this is enough to turn an incoming vessel across the passage and drive it onto the reef uncontrollably;
As pilots, we are warned of the ” press on syndrome ” that in flying can prove to be fatal The same applies to the sea when a captain is reluctant to abandon a plan for fear of ridicule by his seniors , and continues when it would be better not to at that time; and
The inquiry needs also to look at if our officers are getting enough sea time.. and not just classroom time. As a fishing captain, I used to average 230 days a year at sea … one has to wonder with budgetary restraints how many days a year our navy captains are given. The sea can be a beautiful friend but also a terrible enemy … not to be taken lightly. I trust the lessons will be learned … by all! Grahame Southwick, Captain Suva
Reducing wastage
In its submission to the 2024-2025 National Budget the Fiscal Review Committee has identified a number of areas where expenditure can be reduced or wastage can be minimised. One of which is the excessive overseas travels by ministers. The Minister of Finance has assured that measures will be implemented in the coming Budget to curtail wasteful expenditure (FT 17/6). The committee has recommended for the establishment of a public sector costs committee to focus on the reforms. My suggestion is that their role should be expanded to also determine the size of the public service at all levels. It’s time we did more with less. The other issue is currently we have 29 ministers and assistant ministers. They are all travelling at one point or the other. The question is does the country really need so many assistant ministers? Sadly, FRC’s submission seems to be silent on this issue. The size of the government should be also looked at as part of the exercise to review the pay for the parliamentarians. SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
Straighten up
The Fiscal Review Committee has bluntly told the Coalition Government to “pull up its socks”. In my view, it has to “clean” its socks first, prior to pulling them up. Good governance is one of the most important factors in economic growth and social wellbeing. A government can not control the economy, without controlling people. And when it is inherently incompetent, no matter what task it is assigned, it will do it in the most expensive and inefficient way possible. In this present political crisis, the Government is not the solution, it is the problem. For when politics is no longer a mission, but a profession, politicians become more self-serving. Samu Silatolu Nakasi
Medical for Aiyaz
Aiyaz says he requires medical attention (FT 18/06). I suggest he for once act like a commoner and check himself into one of our local hospitals since he had proudly declared during his tenure as minister for everything that Fiji boasts some of the best medical facilities in the Pacific region. He can seek healthcare at the Punjas Medical centre here in Lautoka for all I care. No need to travel to Singapore. Nishant Singh Lautoka
Big shoes to fill
The current sugarcane volume of 1.5 million tonnes is a far cry from the peak industry levels achieved in the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, when the three existing factories crushed in excess of 3.8 million tonnes of sugarcane annually between them. There is a lot of talk on revitalising the Fiji sugar industry back to its glory days. The miller is forever pointing to sub-standard quality and inconsistent flow of cane delivered. Cane farmers on the other hand continue to lament about the cane price, with calls for Government to increase this season’s cane price to $100 from $71.77 per tonne cane (FT 18/6). While Fiji has yet to embrace the quality-based cane payment system, the existing pricing system is very much tied to the quality of raw material. Let’s say the sugar price ($/ts) this season is $1500. A farmer delivers 100 tonnes of cane from which the miller obtains 12 tonnes of sugar. The total proceeds from the sale of that sugar would be $18,000 ($1500/ts x 12ts). Under the current miller/farmer sharing ratio, the farmer gets $12,600 (70 per cent of total sugar sale) which works out to $126/tonne cane ($12,600 ÷ 100 tc). If the same 100 tonnes of cane yields only 9 tonnes of sugar, the sugar proceeds would be $13,500 ($1500 x 9 ts) of which the farmer gets $9450 (70 per cent of total sugar sale), which equates to $94.50/tonne cane ($9450 ÷ 100 tc).
So, the difference in cane price of $31.50/tc is owed to the quality or the obtainable sugar in cane delivered to the factory. Unless the current crop of sugarcane farmers are non-selective with their maths, and unless they realise that it’s the obtainable sugar in the cane barrel that sells, they have huge shoes to fill in getting the cane volume up to at least half of the peak level and feeding the factories consistently with fresh, quality sugarcane throughout the 20-week season. Samu Railoa Nadi
Statesmen
We witnessed a lot of twists in Government. Everyone saw, watched, listened to them as they unfolded. I believe we can all learn from these interesting, good news even though some are sad/sorry and bad to some extent. One writer summed it quite succinctly, ‘No matter how bad you are, you are not useless, You can be used as a bad example’. – Victor Hugo. But lesson learnt! Jioji O. Toronibau Navetau, Tunuloa
Zone taxis
It is 3.50pm, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. No taxis at Nadi Hospital. Will the Coalition Government, Nadi Town Council and LTA Nadi please immediately reinstate base taxis. Zone taxis are not practical and a nuisance. They fail to provide transport for the sick and the needy. Ronnie Chang Martintar, Nadi
Teachers’ pay
The three-legged government won’t consider a 30 per cent pay rise for educators of Fiji’s future leaders but rather gift themselves a hefty increase. Sad eh! Wise Muavono Balawa, Lautoka
Local treatment
What is the ailment, that you need to go overseas for treatment? A whole lot of locals need medical attention. Do you know where they go for attention for their ailment? The local hospitals. For 16 years you harped about how you were one of us, the locals! Behave like one. You can always be wheelchaired to the court, rere much? The withered low-hanging fruit. MANOJ LAL PATEL Drasa Ave, Lautoka
Cutting costs
Not long ago the parliamentarians had received $10,000 so they can visit their voters. Lately they got a huge pay rise as if they were all going to resign. Anyway Professor Biman Prasad should have talked about the expenditure cutting to the emoluments committee before they came up with the new pay and benefits. We have no choice! We just have to keep paying more. Sukha Singh Labasa
Pot holes
Why is Fiji Roads Authority not filling up the pot holes in this dry weather? Hope FRA is not waiting for rain. The western Viti Levu roads are full of pot holes and this is the best time to fill those lovo pits. Geoffrey Chand Lautoka
Elections
Your correspondent Melika Bogileka (FT 18/06) with the Latin bent, Dominus Vobiscum suggests that voters will get revenge at the next election. I agree. The next election promises to be the most interesting in constitutional memory. Et cum spíritu tuo. Terry Hulme Russell St, Eastwood, NSW, Australia
Olympics incentive!
With Cabinet expected to announce an Olympic Games incentive, I just hope that the incentive will be fulfilled. I feel for national 7s hero Jerry Tuwai, who is waiting for the promise that was made to him to be fulfilled. I’m thankful to the Minister for Youth and Sports, Jese Saukuru, for ensuring that the promise made to Tuwai by the FijiFirst government would be fulfilled. The Fiji men’s 7s side is our top bet for the Olympics gold medal. The side ended the 2022/23 and 2023/24 HSBC SVNS WRSS circuit winless, but I have a feeling that the losing streak will end in Paris. The inclusion of Fijian Drua sensations Iosefo Masi and Selestino Ravutaumada and France-based Josaia Raisuqe will boost the 7s side which is aiming for its third Olympic Games gold medal. The side showed a lot of hope and ambition in Madrid and with Osea Kolinisau, who won the gold medal in Rio at the helm, things look promising. Tuwai is almost back to his best and once in full flight, he will be the one the nation will look up to. Kolinisau knows that he is the first local to guide the 7s team to the Olympics – a mammoth task, but one that can be fulfilled. Ben Ryan and Gareth Baber did it and so can our own Osea Kolinisau! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Hacking EVM
Elon Musk, an American business tycoon has made a startling revelation that the electronic voting machines (EVM) can be hacked by AI (Artificial Intelligence). This is a very disturbing comment as it devastates the core of the democratic process. Is it a reality? It sends shivers down my spine! India, the world’s largest democracy, uses EVMs to conduct elections over a period of six weeks. The recent elections conducted for 2024 have produced startling results. It cannot be explained in simplistic political terms. All pre-poll results have been proven wrong. Before the results the INDI opposition was vehemently claiming victory and people generally laughed it away. However, as the EVM results came out the nation was stunned! The ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) lost a number of seats and its absolute majority in parliament. Prime Minister Modi’s popularity sank and 34 ministers lost elections. The involvement of foreign forces cannot be ruled out as some had declared their intentions to defeat Narendra Modi at any cost. American billionaire George Soros was one such force who had committed millions to achieve his goal. The involvement of the CIA and the Deep State was a commonly heard rumour. Could these forces have connived with the INDI opposition? One can only make an intelligent guess. I have carried out some research on AI and am convinced that Allan Musk’s claim has an element of truth in it. AI in the hands of ill-intentioned people can wreak havoc with democratic elections! Indian electronic experts have claimed that this is a distant possibility and have brushed aside Allen Musk’s claim. But I am sure that the future will have more revelations on this matter. Dewan Chand Namadi Heights, Suva
MV FijiFirst
It is very sad to note that the captain, the chief mate, and the top crew have abandoned the vessel. This situation is deeply troubling as their departure leaves the ship without its experienced leadership. With the ship’s next destination now unknown, there is a growing sense of uncertainty among the remaining crew and stakeholders. It appears that the root of their dissatisfaction lies in the same documentation (constitution) and processes that have been in place for the last 16 years. This system, which has successfully run the ship for so long, now seems to be a point of contention for the departing crew. This long standing document has evidently not evolved to meet the changing needs and expectations of the crew, leading to the current unfortunate situation. The abandonment by the captain and the chief mate is particularly concerning as the entire complement of passengers now finds themselves in a state of confusion and anxiety. They have always relied on the captain and chief mate to navigate and steer the ship towards their intended destination. SV Tuwai Nasese
