Kava bill
Utiko Nabunobuno, Lautoka
I find it ridiculous the call by some yaqona farmers in the North for the introduction of kava legislation to protect them from being ripped-off by vendors or re-sellers.
Shortly after the spike in yaqona prices supposedly brought about by the havoc Winston wreaked, a farmer was overheard questioning why market vendors are selling Kava for $80-$100 when farmers sell it to them for $50-$60. I thought he was plain stupid or maybe he doesn’t understand the dynamics of business.
How else would a market vendor or re-seller make a living if he re-sells his purchase by the purchasing price?
I think what the farmer does not understand is that the kava dealer has to pay a business license, pay market/stall fees, pay taxes on his income, and other charges, while the farmer in contrast pays a meagre amount.
Fiji continues to lag behind because we have an outdated taxation system in the economics of our development, because of the continued use of VAT. We are only accounting for activities that resemble some sort of value adding to the primary products. We need to introduce Goods and Services Tax, so that Government can capture the real volume of economic activity that is happening in our nation.
As it is, many activities are unaccounted for, like the farmer who is crying foul. If the Government accounts for, and taxes all economic activity, it will portray a true picture of its economic standings, and be able to have a more correct indicator of the people’s standard of living or the per capita income.
Many of these farmers don’t pay taxes, but cry foul over the lack of Government services or regulations. The way we do business in our small economy is over-regulated as it is I think, and if there is legislation for kava to be introduced, then it would do good to criminalise it.
God
Dushah Pockvigum, Europe
God has no shape. Nature has no stationary shape. Only your mind produces forms inside of it. God, nature – words don’t matter – have no names. God is everywhere. So, nobody cares about your prayers. Only yourself. Words are just words. Nature is not about words, it’s about existence.
Fiji win
Saiasi Mocelutu, Lautoka
Just want to thank our Vodafone Flying Fijians for another good come-back win against Samoa.
Big Vinaka vakalevu to Eremasi Radrodro.
Sugar industry
Rattan Sharma, Ba
It was disgraceful and disheartening to see and hear the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) chief executive repeatedly using abusive words on television.
First of all there should be a disciplinary action taken against him for using such words in public. It’s a shame for the sugar industry as a whole.
He thinks of the sugar industry as a joke and whatever he says will be tolerated. Secondly, he claims that the sugar industry is better off than before. Can he explain that better? After Cyclone Winston has the FSC field officers consulted individual farmers on the property damage incurred let alone the crop damage? The labour quarters and farming equipment were damaged during the cyclone and no subsidy was given to farmers for rebuilding and getting back on their feet for the new crushing season, especially in the Western Division by FSC.
The labourers are demanding good housing so how can the FSC expect farmers to start harvesting on time under these circumstances?
Katonibau out of Rio
Tomasi Boginiso, Nasinu
I just can’t believe it.
A very impact player and vocal especially before entering the field; makes opponents not want to be near him.
And at times he springs out a trick which has won games for Fiji in the dying stages of a tournament.
Hope Ben gives him time to recover and gives him another opportunity.
Isa ‘kerekere Ben’ and ‘veilomani’.
Seasonal workers lament
Joji Toronibau, Tunuloa
After reading the newspapers yesterday I was a little bit paranoid that our earthlings in the Northern Division were never mentioned or overlooked at, in the priority listings for the seasonal workers programme.
Especially, Qamea, Taveuni, the coastal areas from Nakobo to Savusavu, the Southern Bua areas, etc.
Please, Mr Minister, our habitation and space here are like war zones as well after post-Cyclone Winston.
Raj and Tuks, please rescue your brethren’s up here.
Sports coverage
Nilesh Lal, Suva
I wonder if Fiji One, the nation’s oldest and biggest television station, is even aware that a major football tournament is being played at the moment. Football is a favourite sport for many Fijians and the interest intensifies during weekends when tournaments are played.
Fiji One, however, appears to be oblivious to the Fiji FACT fever sweeping the country. Or perhaps for them, sport is synonymous with rugby. So much for inclusive programming!
World’s safest places
Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi
Our tourist destination neighbour friend and competitor, New Zealand, is rated fourth in the top five safest countries in the world.
Fiji is nowhere any closer as reported in the FS, page 34 June 17. Tourist trends and travellers upon being interviewed will mostly say and confirm their reasons for travelling to a particular destination are – safety and security, honesty, clean, beautiful and picture risqué, lovely food and friendly people, affordable and excellent service, sports tourism, clean ocean, world class surfing, diving and game fishing, fantastic hotel and resort rooms etc.
We have daily reported cases of rapes, murder, thieving, suicide and narcotics drugs smuggling, etc hitting the headlines. The list goes on in our newspapers and TV for everyone to know. These are cases that do not help much in our endeavour to create an atmosphere conducive to lure in as many tourists as we can to our shores so we can hit the billion mark compared to other destinations.
Is Fiji realistically a friendly country? But we are not ranked up there with the rest of our competitors from around the world or maybe we are doing very well in other facets of what tourists like about our country’s tourism industry, which makes us unique.
Perhaps the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, the Minister for Tourism with Tourism Fiji and other stakeholders might want to put together a special tourism taskforce group and find ways where we can smartly collaborate with other Governmental regulatory authorities, our various chiefly tikina councils and their respective bose vanua and effectively come up with a collective long-term solution. Or is it maybe that our social structures and our country’s many religious organisations are not as effective as they should be.
I would like to encourage our fellow writers to contribute positively by writing in with your valuable thoughts and inputs so that in a small way we can all contribute in making Fiji a better, safer and beautiful place to enjoy.
Thank you
Amrit Singh, Nausori
I would like to thank the Water Authority of Fiji for their quick response in fixing the water pressure problem for residents living along Bau Road.
The people are now satisfied that the water pressure is back to normal again. Now there won’t be any problems for those who are cleaning up their homes and so on.
Thank you for the quick action and vinaka, Mr Joji, who is general manager at WAF for the follow-up.
Christian vandals
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada
Would Jesus Christ command His church to vandalise temples and places where non-Christians worship?
Please Christian Church leaders and all Christians let us respect the freedom of religion and worship of all Fijians even though we are a majority. We are a secular state, meaning that the Government looks at all religious faith as equal on a level playing field.
God does not approve the vandalising of non-Christian places of worship but Christians have been commanded to be Christ’s witnesses in sharing the Gospel Commission.
Jesus stated in Matthew 24: 14 that the Gospel truth is to be preached to the entire world, before Christ returns, as a witness.
We all have the gift of choice and the Bible states that a lot of people will miss eternal life because they have chosen not to accept the Good News. Let us be witnesses please, as Christianity as a whole gets a bad name, including our Lord Jesus Christ, when being accused of vandalising temples and non Christian places of worship.