Politics
Infectious disease ruled out as cause of US couple’s death in Fiji: Government
FIJI’S Ministry of Health and Medical Services has ruled out infectious disease as a cause of the death of American couple David and Michelle Paul who died in Nadi while on holiday last month. In...
Up Fiji Navy surveillance operations funding: MP Tikoduadua
AN allocation of $50,000 made to the Fiji Navy maritime surveillance centre operations under the 2019-2020 National Budget was scrutinised in Parliament earlier this evening. Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua proposed that the allocation was increased considering the vast area that such operations covered. “I think we should increase the allocation to another $50,000 because they play...
Qorvis receives $1m allocation; Gavoka says it has overstayed its welcome
QORVIS Communications has overstayed its welcome and it’s time that we send them home, says Opposition MP Viliame Gavoka. He highlighted this issue in Parliament yesterday during a debate to take out the $1 million allocation to Qorvis Communications under the 2019-2020 National Budget. He said the organisation was a creature of the 2006 coup....
Foreign Affairs ministry struggles to fill vacancies: Seruiratu
THE Foreign Affairs Ministry is facing difficulties in filling vacant positions, Minister Inia Seruiratu told Parliament during the Committee of Supply’s deliberations on the 2019-2020 National Budget yesterday. Mr Seruiratu said the budget allocation for staff recruitment had been reduced when compared with the past financial year. “We can manage with the reduction. At the...
MIDA failed to submit annual reports since 2010: Prof Biman
THE Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA) has failed to submit its annual reports since 2010, opposition MP Professor Biman Prasad told Parliament during the Committee of Supply’s deliberations on a motion to remove its budget allocation of $150,000 during the 2019-2020 National Budget debate. “The Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should hit the nail on the head....
FBOA agrees to begin providing audited accounts
MEMBERS of the Fiji Bus Operators Association have unanimously agreed to begin providing audited accounts for each of their companies from the next financial year. According to FBOA, at the annual general meeting held on Saturday, June 15, 2019, the members agreed that electronic ticketing data now provided a good basis for tracking and auditing...
19th June
Motion to strike out grant to PIDF defeated in Parliament
A MOTION to strike out an operating grant of $1.2million allocated to the Pacific Islands Development Forum Secretariat ( PIDF) was defeated in Parliament today. This issue was highlighted during the committee of supply’s deliberation on the 2019-2020 National Budget in Parliament. Opposition MP Anare Jale said there was no need to allocate such funds to...
Policy: Report allegations against teachers
HEADS of schools have been warned they could lose their jobs if they fail to report allegations levelled against teachers. According to the newly-introduced Child Protection Policy, failure to report with the intent of protecting a teacher can result in “termination of services”. The policy requires three types of investigations when there is a complaint...
Government borrowings “extremely unhealthy”: Radrodro
OPPOSITION member of Parliament Aseri Radrodro last night labelled the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy as someone who was not a qualified finance or development person. Speaking in response to the 2019/2020 National Budget, he said the Government’s borrowings were extremely unhealthy and at high risk. “He has always laughed off our submissions, but I...
Bainimarama can explain GDP better, says Reddy
PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is the only person who can explain the gross domestic product (GDP) better than anyone else in Parliament, Agriculture and Environment Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy told Parliament yesterday. Responding to the 2019-2020 National Budget, he claimed certain Opposition MPs had criticised Mr Bainimarama’s explanation on GDP during a radio interview. “Mr...
Seruiratu: A safe Fiji to attract investors
THE Fiji Police Force plays an important role in creating an investor-friendly environment in Fiji, said Defence and National Security Minister Inia Seruiratu in Parliament yesterday. Speaking on the 2019-2020 National Budget, he said the Force had been allocated $800,000 to enhance the necessary capabilities for enforcers. “We can’t bring in foreign investors if we...
Sayed-Khaiyum responds to Rabuka
THE Opposition Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, has forgotten the “doom” he created when he overthrew government in 1987. Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made this comment in his right of reply to the 2019-2020 National Budget in Parliament last night. “Fijians can now compare for themselves the Rabuka doom with the Bainimarama boom,” he said. “The...
Government remains devoted, says A-G in budget reply
GOVERNMENT remains committed to building a liberal economy despite opposition critics. This was highlighted by the Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in his right of reply to the 2019-2020 National Budget in Parliament last night. “The Bainimarama boom will now be forever etched in the minds of people,” he said. “With all the criticisms raised...
Waqainabete: There is need for improvement
MINISTER for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says there is significant need for continuous improvement in the ministry’s professionals capacity to protect lives and reduce complaints. Highlighting this in Parliament last night, Dr Waqainabete said there was also a need to stop the pilfering happening in health facilities, damaging and desecrating of health...
Tough days ahead for Fijian Government, says MP Tabuya
THE 2019-2020 National Budget has policies aimed to reduce Government’s budget deficits through spending cuts and tax increases. Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya made the comments during her budget response in Parliament yesterday. “The truth is, this is an austerity budget, austerity measures are used by governments around the world that find it difficult to pay...
Government has become numb to the needs of the people: Radrodro
THE FijiFirst Government has become numb to the needs of the people of Fiji, claims Opposition spokeswoman for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Salote Radrodro. “They have become deaf to the cries of our people,” Ms Radrodro said. She said Government should hang its head in shame over the callous disregard for our youth. “Our...
National Budget is the product of a two-man rule: Qereqeretabua
THE 2019/2020 National Budget is the product of a two-man rule, says Opposition member of Parliament Lenora Qereqeretabua. She said blaming past governments and using legacy problems was the old and worn-out crutch some in the government side continued to use to cover up the FijiFirst Government’s failings. Ms Qereqeretabua said the budget was aimed...
100 additional LTA enforcement officers employed by LTA
THE Land Transport Authority has been forced to employ an additional 100 enforcement officers because of the level of fraud in our transport system. Education Minister Rosy Akbar, during her response to the 2019/2020 National Budget this week, said LTA had found several instances of this happening. She said students as young as five years...
Ministry to optimise their service delivery to the people
The 2019/2020 fiscal envelope anchors the Ministry of Fisheries’ work on increasing the fisheries sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), says Fisheries Minister Semi Koroilavesau. Mr Koroilavesau said the first objective of the ministry in the 2019/2020 financial year would be to optimise their service delivery to the people of Fiji through...
18th June
Fijian Parliament: Ratu Antonio clarifies NCD comments by Pillay
THE Government Member of Parliament Viam Pillay should understand that Non-Communicable Diseases are lifestyle and genetic diseases. Opposition MP Ratu Antonio Lalabalavu made this comment in Parliament today while clarifying comments made by Pillay on the increase in NCDs in Fiji. “Honourable MP Viam Pillay should understand that NCDs are caused by lifestyles and genetics,...
Fijian Parliament: UN peacekeeping school for Black Rock
THE Black Rock Military Camp in Nadi will soon feature a United Nations peacekeeping school. This has been confirmed by the Minister for Defence and National Security , Inia Seruiratu in Parliament today. Speaking on the 2019-2020 National Budget , he said the peacekeeping school was part of the BlackRock re-developement project funded by the...
Fijian Parliament: Budget debate currently suspended due to water cuts
THE 2019-2020 National Budget debate is currently suspended due to water cuts. This was announced by Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatika. The announcement came after Opposition MP Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu delivered his response to the budget. “I will have to suspend the session because I’ve been informed that there is no water at the...
Fijian Parliament: $1.1m for recruitment of additional 40 naval officers
THE Fiji Navy has received a budget allocation of $1.1 million for the recruitment of an additional 40 personnel to operate it’s two new vessels. This was highlighted by the Minister for Defence and National Security Inia Seruiratu while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 national budget in Parliament today. “Considering Fiji’s vast EEZ and...
Fijian Parliament: Don’t need to be an expert in economics says Tabuya
YOU don’t need to be a rocket scientist or an economics academic to know the failures in our economy. These were the words of Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya while responding to the 2019-2020 national budget in Parliament this morning. “The people are suffering under this Government, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist or...
Fijian Parliament: Saukuru says Government should stop putting the blame on climate change
THE FijiFirst Government is the only government in Fiji’s history that has been repeatedly destructed by numerous tropical cyclones. This was highlighted by Opposition MP Jese Saukuru while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 national budget in Parliament this morning. He said the cyclones would dump bills amounting to billion of dollars where Government was...
Fijian Parliament: 1987 coup blamed for increase in NCDs
THE 1987 coup has been blamed for the increase in Non-Communicable Diseases in Fiji. This was highlighted by Assistant Agriculture Minister Viam Pillay while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 national budget in Parliament today. Before the Opposition Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka conducted the 1987 coup, Mr Pillay said people used to work in their farms....
‘Doom, no boom’
THE poor people have been hurt more by the 2019/2020 National Budget, says Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka. He claimed the next financial year’s budget would only “benefit the selected few businesses who will continue to fill their pockets”. In his response to the budget address in Parliament yesterday, Mr Rabuka said the national budget delivered...
Minister has failed, Rabuka says
MINISTER for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has lost the plot and it’s about time that he admits his failures, says Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka. In addressing Parliament during his response to the 2019/2020 National Budget yesterday, Mr Rabuka called for the immediate removal of Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, claiming that he has manipulated and misled the people of...
Ex-PM says announcement a ‘self-praise of government actions’
IT is important that Government should seek advice from the Reserve Bank of Fiji when mapping out the national budget, says Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka. In his response to the 2019/2020 National Budget in Parliament yesterday, the former prime minister said the next financial year’s budget “would hurt the poor more”. Mr Rabuka said he...
Akbar assures no students in tents
MINISTER for Education, Heritage and Arts Rosy Akbar has reassured Parliament that students who were affected by tropical cyclones were no longer studying in tents. Ms Akbar said they were working towards building climate resilient classrooms. Ms Akbar highlighted this in her response to the 2019/2020 National Budget, clarifying claims made by Opposition MP Mosese...
