Wasted water
Roneel Chand, Caubati
There is a massive water leak at Dokanaisuva Road, off Khalsa Road that remains unrepaired since last week.
Several calls to the Water Authority of Fiji by concerned residents have not been answered. The residents are eager for a response.
PSV drivers; First Aid
Neelz Singh, Lami
Recent vehicle fires and road accidents have revealed a startling indication that drivers and passengers had panicked at the time of the incidence.
The public service vehicle (PSV) drivers were not aware of any basic First Aid procedures and did not know how to operate a fire extinguisher.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) should focus on educating PSV drivers on the safety of their passengers when such emergency situations arise.
I sometimes wonder why public service vehicles don’t have proper First Aid kits and fire extinguishers.
I also wonder how some of these PSV drivers secured a PSV licence when their dress code and driving ethics are way off the charts. Please, maintain some standards.
Staying safe
Apenisa Nainoka, Nadi
As expected when every disaster occurs, a number of diseases usually follow. Water- borne diseases are very common but the onus is on the public to be aware of such a threat.
I wish to remind the public that if you suspect the water you are drinking is not safe, then it is best to boil it first. Living and staying healthy is the sole responsibility of every individual.
The Paris deal
Floyd Robinson, Nasinu
Public discussions evaluating whether the Paris Climate Change Agreement is good or bad has continued with another discussions on Wednesday, March 10, at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
This was the second dialogue of such a nature, following on a previous discussion hosted at the University of the South Pacific few weeks earlier.
Whilst one appreciates such discussions, there is perhaps a need to take such discussions a level closer to our communities, for example, engaging secondary schools in debates or oratory contests.
This could be done with and between schools.
Further discussion over the air hosted in vernacular stations including Hindi, iTaukei and English.
One hopes that experts will tone down the language so that the average person on the street can relate to this because sometimes jargons and technical terminologies distract the listener’s attention.
All in all, let’s support such discussions but also include the wider community because all members have to live with the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on a daily basis.
Women’s Day
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
On International Women’s Day celebration, may I submit the following suggestion to the Minister for Women, if not already done?
First, the equality of pay and terms of work conditions for women! The idea of paying women less because they are women should be a thing of the past.
I urge Parliament to request the Ministry of Labour on this last bastion of slavery.
Second, our maternity wards all over the country should provide the necessary facilities to protect our women, from pre-natal to post-natal periods.
The Ministry of Health should look into this, please.
Third, the issue of diet risk on young mothers in the rural areas during adverse period as post Tropical Cyclone Winston.
Young mothers must be supplemented with proper diets like sugarcane, pawpaw, soursap, pumpkin, mangoes and proper proteins that will help nurture strong babies.
Fourth, the laws of this country should be reviewed to protect our womenfolk and young girls from violent predators. They should make submissions to the Ministry of Justice giving concrete examples.
Fifth, to ensure women have a balanced representation in all areas. Currently there is an obvious imbalance in women representation especially in decision-making areas like management boards, councils and Parliament.
Lastly, enabling economic environment to be able to earn and raise good families and reduce poverty.
I hope the above will be included in the women’s strategic plan. These suggestions are far from exhaustive.
FNPF eligibility
Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi
It is imperative that the fund’s chief operating officer must come out clean and explain to the FNPF members how they will decide and workout which batch will have their applications prioritised, approved and paid first.
Is it according to the date they have complied and submitted their applications or according to the office which they submitted their applications from? This is about transparency and members have a right to know because of late, many who had lodged their applications on February 22 and 23 respectively are still complaining that they have not received any payment.
FNPF HQ owes it to the members through a paid advert in the two dailies; so far only 4000 members from the 50,000 applicants lodged have already received their $1000.
We ask this because our severely affected relatives in our respective villagers and settlements throughout the country look up to their sons, daughters, uncles and unties who work in the urban centres to come to their aid at this very important time.
Keep communicating with the members; it helps them plan and alleviate the stress at the same time.
Please, FNPF stop reminding members on the consequences and implications of their accessing and withdrawing from their retirement savings, which will automatically and immediately lower their balance, meaning they will have to forego some other assistance provided for by the fund in future.
Please, that is a very simple maths, but right now that is the least of our worries.
Please, fasttrack the process with its payment and give the members their monies.
Fair reporting
Joji Toronibau, Tunuloa
Last week we were a little bit paranoid when we listened, saw and read in the local newspapers that only the Western Division, the Ra province, Koro Island, parts of Tailevu North and the likes were the only places devastated by Tropical Cyclone Winston.
Little did the reporters know that people in the North also had our fair share of Winston’s wrath!
Please, come to Taveuni and parts of the Hibiscus Highway, parts of Southern coastal Bua and the likes; they are like war zones.
The model of assessment in Viti Levu will always differ from the model they use over here. Ethics of work is the study of what is right, fair and just [good].
Editor’s note: A Fiji Sun journalist was the first to report from Taveuni and outlined issues on the island. There have been subsequent visits, and pages of photos plus aerial photography. Plus coverage from Savusavu and Bua.