Archive for August 2011
Nolle Prosequi for Fijian Holdings ex-chief Sitiveni Weleilakeba
A free man, Sitiveni Weleilakeba with his daughter Natasha
Our sources were able to further verify our earlier story regarding FICAC’s agenda to go chastise ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and former Fijian Holdings boss, Sitiveni Weleilakeba using their over-arching prosecuting powers by inundating them with many baseless charges they can find.
FICAC prosecuted the two under dubious circumstances which has now been proven as false and malicious resulting in FICAC discontinuing the case with a Nolle Prosequi quashing any insinuation by FICAC that a deal was struck between them and Weleilakeba.
Rumours rolled out by FICAC suggesting that an immunity may have been given to Weleilakeba by FICAC to stand as State witness against his long time friend Qarase can only be referred to as another twisted attempt by them to justify the thousands of taxpayers dollars they’ve wasted chasing after their own tail while pursuing the duo.
Qarase and Weleilakeba were listed as one of the top 5 most hated individuals by Frank & Co. therefore it didn’t surprise many when they were prosecuted by FICAC with their charges being amended and the case dragged out since the 2006 coup, an exercise meant to humiliate, consume and bankrupt Qarase and Weleilakeba.
Did FICAC and their regime bosses achieve their ultimate goal?
Not at all we don’t think, for the two continue to carry on with their lives regardless, despite Frank regime’s expensive program to malign their reputation hoping to turn them into feeble powerless beings.
Here is the High Court order terminating all charges against Weleilakeba and discharging him FijiSW Court Order
Here is High Court Nolle Prosequi on FICAC vs Sitiveni Weleilakeba Nolle Prosequi FijiSW Nolle Prosequi
MSG agreements with Frank’s regime illegal : Fiji Democracy & Freedom Movement
Fiji Democracy & Freedom Movement are calling the MSG leaders meeting in Fiji on “Engaging the Pacific” conference as bizarre.
Read it here 110831 Press release
FDFM South Australia Launch Friday 2 September, 7.00pm
Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement in Australia will be meeting again on Friday 2nd September to discuss “PROMOTING FIJI’S RETURN TO DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW.
For more information, click on the link below.
Fiji police buildings torched
MICHAEL FIELD
A shadowy group wanting to overthrow the Fiji military regime is claiming responsibility for the arson attacks on two police posts on Monday.
The group calling itself the Viti Revolutionary Front (VRF) has also said it is behind a wave of graffiti across the Pacific nation, condemning military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama. Viti is the traditional name for Fiji.
Fiji is under a state of emergency with heavy media censorship, but unusually the daily Fiji Times today published a story saying police were investigating the burning of two bures or houses used by police in the Nadroga district of the main island of Viti Levu.
“We are investigating both fires,” police spokeswoman Theresa Ralogaivau said.
“The cause of both fires is still to be determined.
“However, it is important to note that one of the bures was in a dilapidated condition and in the process of being dismantled when the fires occurred.”
A bure at the Nawai police station had been used by police to meet members of the community.
VRF, in an email to media, said they set the fires.
“Our aim is not to damage and destroy any property that belongs to our own people or any private property for that matter,” the email said.
“However, our property is occupied by thugs and murderers and they are ruining the future of our children.”
They say their aim is to prove to Bainimarama, who took power in a coup in 2006, that he did not have the endorsement of the people of Fiji.
“VRF wants to send a clear message to the international communities about the above and to also send warnings to the international organisations and communities that the violent activities will step up to the next level, until the time they hear our cries and intervene,” the message said.
For the first time since the coup, political graffiti has appeared across Fiji.
Various anti-regime websites have carried photos of the graffiti which initially appeared on public spaces and a billboard on the busy Nausori-Suva corridor.
The graffiti now appears widespread, including in the tourist areas of Nadi and Lautoka.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5540039/Fiji-police-buildings-torched
Viti Revolution Forces a sophisticated group to be reckoned with
they are too well organised to take that kind of risk
Vodafone has access monitoring for all its workers on its systems – they can track back whoever did that and identify where that login happened and when and they will know who did it. they also have security cameras at their premises 24/7.
they have shown with the graffiti (all over Fiji) and the burning down of the police installations out West that they have a network – they have also demonstrated that the network is secure because they have not been compromised todate – which means that they have Operational Security.
it also means that they have secure communications - to be able to coordinate operations Fiji wide like that takes secure communications. it also takes discipline – not just organisational discipline but also personell discipline – because these operations took place at night and during the day their guys have to be ready to do operations 24/7 – and the tempo of their operations has been quite extensive over the last few days – normally operational tempo’s like that catch out amateurs and they make mistakes and compromise things – not these guys – they have run this thing smoothly over the last few days – and that takes coordination and discipline. none of their operatives have been caught todate which means persec is secure with these guys – normally Itaukei operations like this fall apart because of loose lips and what itaukei call “raqaraqa” (i.e show offs – and talking too much around the yaqona bowl aand stuff like that).
plus Fiji is a small place – anybody going out at odd hours of the night and suddenly changing their timetable during the day is quickly picked up by friends, family and work – which makes it all the more possible for networks like this to be compromised.
these guys would have to be very well organised not to attract that kind of attention – their operatives would be very diligent and dsciplined and emotionally balanced and calm to be able to handle the stress of doing things like these and not give away any outwardly signs of being involved. its not easy - i can only guess that they are doing it from within communities which are generally receptive to the cause (something like the IRA finding cover within the Republican community and not being compromised as a result because of that wall of silence) OR these are guys from outside, professionals sent in to do these things.
hacking Vodafone means they have muscle behind them - i don’t want to speculate but it has to be serious muscle. the only kind of muscle who i can think of who have the capacity to hack Vodafone’s digital networks are certain State Intelligence agencies offshore - hacking Vodafone is not something any kid off the street can do – their networks are digital and security encrypted and layered - it takes security intelligence professionals with the equipment to do it
i maybe wrong – but my first impression of this thing just by looking at the pattern of unfolding events leads me to the conclusion that this is a well organised (and supported) operation - it has all the hallmarks of what guys in that line of business call ”Destabalisation operations”.
spray painting busstops and burning down Police installations is one thing – people’s uprisings are crude affairs – but hacking Vodafone’s network is in a different league altogether, it suggests a sophistication which is way beyond that of a normal people’s uprising.
Leaked cable says Asian countries were urged to speak more against Fiji coup
A leaked cable from the United States Embassy in Fiji in the months after the 2006 coup says Asian countries were challenged to speak up more against human rights abuses said to have been perpetrated by the Fiji military.
The report released by Wikileaks relates how Malaysia rejected the appeal.
Sally Round reports.
“The cable gives details of a meeting in 2007 between foreign missions resident in Fiji and a delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum. It went to Fiji to hold discussions about the military takeover with a broad cross section of the domestic and international community. The report says China was a notable exception to the many missions which condemned the military takeover and called for a rapid return of democracy. It says China rather hoped for a return of stability and continued friendly ties with Fiji. The cable says Malaysia was the only country to respond to an appeal by Britain for Asian countries to speak out more. Malaysia reportedly said much as it deplored the human rights abuses it’s primary concern was the cost of the coup through the likely negative impact on Malaysia’s aid programmes. Malaysia supported the work of the Fiji Human Rights Commission which US diplomats described as a tool of the military.”
News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
Viti Revolution Force send mass text to Fiji mobile holders
Sources in Fiji report that many mobile holders there received a text message today saying “PEOPLE of FIJI, ACT NOW 2 return democracy 2 Fiji. Standup & b countd. Suport Methodist Church. Start pasive resistance now. Take leave. VRF acts for a free Fiji.”
They say subscribers on Vodafone and Digicel service providers received this mass text sent from +2789040794.
Indo Fijians parade with their gods in public while Fijian Christians are maimed by Frank’s military refime
One can’t help but pick up on the injustices meeted out to Fijian Methodist Church Christians by Frank’s military regime.
Sources in Fiji report that while Indo Fijians were allowed to parade with their deities along Laucala Bay sea side road from Rabuka gym to Nasese, culminating in the piercing of their bodies and fire-walking at their Howell Road church, Fijian Methodist Christians were banned from congregating to mark their annual conference where songs of praise and worship, free giving and fellowship is normally the order of the day.
Fiji Sun cover story a few days ago
They said it was moving to watch Methodist Church members respecting Indo-Fijians rights to worship while they stood by the way side reflecting on the regime’s ban against them not to do the same.
Such is the regime’s show of disrespect and prejudice towards the Methodist Church members in Fiji that breaches their human right to their freedom of religion and belief which encompasses their freedom of thought on all matters and the freedom to manifest religion and belief individually or with others, in public or in private.
What Frank & Co. is under-estimating is the untold consequences of their prejudicial decision against the Fijian Methodist Church members that can provoke religious hatred amounting to incitement of discrimination, hostility or violence proved by the recent outbreak of graffiti writing and burning by a group calling themselves the Viti Revolution Forces.
Frank’s Muslim mafia group celebrated their Eid festival freely while Hindus celebrated their puja with their fellow believers, so why deny the Methodist Church, most of whom are indigenous Fijians, from worshiping freely like their fellow immigrant Indo-Fijians?
Aiyaz Khaiyum with his Muslim family
Frank Bainimarama’s regime is unfortunately causing native Fijians to feel more marginalized than ever before – a hopeless place to put these indigenous Fijians in since this is the same dark hole that awakens the monster in them resulting in the coup culture they’ve adopted as their only option out of that dark place since 1987.
Methodist Christian Fijians banned from worshiping on their own land
Here is a report by blogger Tui Savu on the maiming of the Methodist Church in Fiji.
All other services/programs are not allowed. For Wesley City Mission Church, the services/programmes not allowed are:
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Women’s Fellowship Prayer Group who meet in Church every Monday week at 10am.
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Suva Central Cell Group meeting
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10.45am Choir Practice who meet in Church every Tuesday week at 5.30pm.
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Mid-week Holy Communion service held every Wednesday week at 1.05pm
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Youth Fellowship who meet every Friday week in the Lower Hall at 7.00pm
Nazhat Shameem, Aiyaz khaiyum, Frank Bainimarama’s nightmare begins
Frank’s military council of 2006 made up of Teleni, Aziz Mohammed, Pita Driti, Leweni, Ului Mara,Langman and others are now holding their breath for their time of reckoning is nigh.
It is that time of the hour when each and everyone of them must spill all the truth, nothing but the truth!
Along with them are Nazhat Shameem, Aiyaz Khaiyum, Tony Gates. Christopher Pyrde, Sharom Smith-Jones, Peter Massey,Nur Bano and Zarin Ali, Tappoos, Sandip Patel, Kodagoda and the whole bang lot of Frank’s apologists who also know that their time of deceit is coming to a predictable end.
4.8 years on and Fiji can now sift through her good and rotten citizens, thanks to Frank’s coup of 2006.
For once since December 5th 2006, another symbolic show of defiance have emerged through the Viti Revolution Force (VRF) who have now opted for a more radical means of defiance over peaceful vigils Frank & Co. experienced soon after their 2006 coup in the form of a democracy shrine in a private property in Lami, various protest marches or protest by the road side by civilians, peoples’ refusal to take up regime appointment roles or oaths and other peaceful protests initiated mostly by individuals or small interest groups.
Fast forward to 2011 and the story is now very different.
Two Police Posts in Western Fiji have just been torched to signify peoples’ disenchantment on the illegal decreed law manufactured by Nazhat Shameem and Aiyaz Khaiyum that is trying to dictate terms to them.
They’re now telling Frank that enough is enough and that no amount of decree regeneration programme by his legal connivers will guarantee their hold on power.
Frank is no doubt losing sleep over this latest public defiance by VRF and so is his Police Commish, Iowane Nailavulurua, whose Police men and women are ducking for cover in the midst of their Police bure bonfire event.
Here are some pictures released by VRF to back up their claim of targeted resistance against team Frank.
Police investigate 2 fires
Publish date/time: 30/08/2011 [16:56]
Police are investigating two fires in relation to the Police Bures in the Western Division.
Spokesperson, Theresa Ralogaivau said the Vatudradra Police Bure in Nadroga was completely burnt while the Nawai Police Bure which is also located in Nadroga was partially burnt on Sunday night.
Ralogaivau said both Police Bures were old and were in the process of being dismantled.
Ralogaivau said their investigations remain open and they have not ruled out arson.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=3008119ecfba9564376ee2…
Message to the Fiji Security Forces : Ului Mara
By Ratu Tevita Mara
29 August 2011
The murderer Bainimarama and Khaiyum’s brutal dictatorship and tyranny on our own people has reached a critical moment.
The oppression, corruption, poverty and brutality is rising, a 12 year old boy had his fingers broken under Bainimarama’s orders, but so is the level of anger and frustration. Protesters in the form of the new VRF group have taken it upon themselves to take action following the disrespectful treatment of the Methodist Church leaders and the cancellation of the Methodist Conference. Fiji is passing the point where brutality and threats by the military junta will no longer silence the people. The oppressive situation needs to end before it gets out of hand and there is violence and/or loss of life. We must not reach this point.
Therefore, I call upon all members of both the Fiji Police Force and the Fiji Military Forces, loyal to Fiji, to remember your sworn oaths to protect the citizens and people of Fiji. As the sworn guardians you must take back control of your once proud institutions from the murdering Bainimarama and his tiny group of dedicated power hungry cronies. You must restore respect for the Rule of law and restore the peoples trust in the security forces.
Under the murderer Bainimarama you are regularly being instructed to turn a blind eye to breaches of the law, corruption and to the brutality on our own people. This is not what you joined up for. Our people are suffering, you and your families are suffering, and so is Fiji.
To help end this you need to turn your focus on to Fiji’s real enemy: the murderer Bainimarama. With his laughable promises of free and fair elections in 2014, his continued theft of public funds, lies to the international community and the continued torture of our own people, the murderer Bainimarama has lost all credibility. Bainimarama betrayed the loyal CRW soldiers and had them silenced to cover his involvement in the 2000 Coup. The murderer Bainimarama again manipulated the military and staged the 2006 Coup to protect himself from being arrested for his involvement in the 2000 Coup and the deaths of the soldiers. This evil all needs to end now.
We all need to unite and say enough is enough! Please support the Methodist Church and the Unions, and start passive resistance now. Together we shall rebuild our beloved Fiji — A democratic, prosperous and peaceful Fiji for us and our children, and our children’s children.
LONG LIVE FREEDOM
LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY
LONG LIVE FIJI.
Frank & Co. want to stay in power for as long as possible : US diplomat
US diplomats have described the Fiji interim government’s roadmap to democracy as a plan that leads nowhere.
A cable from the United States Embassy in Suva leaked to the whistleblower website Wikileaks reveals diplomats thoughts on the roadmap which was announced by interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama two years ago.
The embassy noted the Commodore’s plans to establish a new constitution by September 2013 and to lead the country to elections in September 2014.
But diplomats felt the roadmap confirmed that Commodore Bainimarama plans to hold onto power for as long as possible.
They said they would continue their policy of engaging with all Fijian parties to promote genuine dialogue to speed up Fiji’s return to democracy.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
Fiji rugby chief refused NZ visa
Banned Fiji Rugby Union chairman Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga
NEW Zealand has refused to grant a visa to Fiji Rugby Union chairman Colonel Mosese Tokoitoga, barring him from attending the Rugby World Cup which starts in 12 days.
Fiji became the first team to arrive for the tournament when it touched down in Auckland on Monday.
But Tikoitoga will not be able to accompany the team at the September 9 to October 23 tournament because he is banned from New Zealand under travel sanctions targeting members of Fiji’s military regime.
New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully said Tikoitoga’s application for a visa was declined as soon as it was received last week. An application from another Fiji rugby official who also has military ties was also refused.
McCully said “the sanctions are there for a reason and banned means banned.”
Australian Union body and Fiji Democracy & Freedom Movement consolidate rally against tyranny in Fiji
Wikileaks allege rape by military in post-coup Fiji
Women who say they were subjected to sexual assault by members of Fiji’s military remain traumatised by their experiences after the 2006 coup.
Leaked cables from the United States Embassy have documented cases of rape and sexual assault by military personnel.
Sally Round reports.
“The Wikileak reports are unearthing events so traumatic for those involved, women’s rights activists are reluctant to speak publicly. The cables from Suva to Washington allege at least one group of detainees was forced to engage in group sexual acts and the military used rape threats by phone as a method of intimidation. One woman activist spoken to by Radio New Zealand International has listed allegations involving sexual intimidation, harassment, assault and rape of men and women by military personnel, in the months after the 2006 coup. She says the alleged acts have not been reported to police for fear of retaliation and the trauma involved. Social stigma also contributes to a low rate of reporting sexual crime in Fiji. Fiji’s military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga says he can’t comment until he’s read the reports.”
News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
NZ government turns down visa request from Fiji rugby chief
The New Zealand government has turned down a request by Fiji’s Lieutenant Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga to attend the Rugby World Cup.
Colonel Tikoitoga who’s also Chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union has been farewelling the Fiji team on its departure this morning still waiting to hear about his own visa.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully says the visa application was immediately declined when it was received last week under a ban on allowing Fiji regime members into New Zealand.
He says another rugby official with links to the regime has also had his application refused.
“I regret that we haven’t been able to see some movement on things in Fiji which would have enabled us to make more progress in the way in which we deal with these things but the sanctions are there for a reason and banned means banned.”
Mr McCully says the visa refusal should have been communicated to Colonel Tikoitoga before now.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
No trade-off in Sitiveni Weleilakeba’s withdrawn case
Qarase and Weleilakeba
New revelation have emerged today regarding former Fijian Holdings Limited CEO, Sitiveni Weleilakeba’s withdrawn case by Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, FICAC.
Contrary to much speculation and Fijian media reporting that Sitiveni Weleilakeba will be State witness for FICAC “against” his co-accused, Laisenia Qarase, in exchange for his freedom, it has been established that Weleilakeba did not and will not agree to FICAC’s application to witness against his friend Qarase.
Weleilakeba, who is working as a CEO for a company in Papua New Guinea, is understood to have hired an Australian Queens Counsel, in conjunction with his Fijian law counselors from Lateef and Lateef, to defend himself from FICAC’s allegations.
Like all other Fijian nationals charged by FICAC, Weleilakeba had to pay his legal bills from his own resources and not depend on taxpayers funds like the FICAC officials and prosecutors.
We can report here that FICAC’s confirmed trumped up charges against Qarase and Weleilakeba for conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose that contravenes the provisions of the Companies Act, abuse of office, forgery and uttering a forged document was in relation to the conversion of Fijian Holdings Limited from a private to a public company.
FICAC accused Qarase, who was an FHL board member along with others, for conspiring with Weleilakeba to convert FHL to a public company without following proper procedures 19 years ago in 1992.
In 1992, Weleilakeba was FHL’s Board Secretary responsible for minute taking with no powers to vote or contribute in board decisions.
Why FICAC decided to restrict their prosecution to Qarase and Weleilakeba only, instead of taking the whole line-up of FHL board members in 1992 who were responsible for passing that “conversion from private to public company” resolution only serve to confirm the suspicion that FICAC’s real motive is to pin down their real target, Qarase.
Records show that FHL’s board Chairman then was Lyle Cupit, deputy Chairman was Josevata Kamikamica, other board members were Berenado Vunibobo, Gerard Barrack, Joe Mar, Lt Col Navunisaravi, Ratu Jone Kubuabola and E Tavai.
Cited Annual General Meeting minutes and FHL Board minutes in 1992 specifically show resolutions approving the conversion of FHL to a public company by the board of directors and shareholders at the AGM, and not by Qarase and Weleilakeba’s own doing as claimed by FICAC.
So why did FICAC waste their time and taxpayers resources chasing after a dead case they knew they were not going to win?
Again, the answer lies in Frank’s regime’s vindictive agenda to crucify Qarase and those they randomly chose on the basis of their association with Qarase or the SDL government like Weleilakeba.
It is also clear that FICAC, in their desperation to water-down their jumbled up no case to answer against Qarase and Weleilakeba, purposefully lay their false claim about Weleilakeba to be their State witness after they realized that all the trumped up charges they invented against him and Qarase were unfounded and malicious in nature.
Their plan? To try and demonize Weleilakeba by pitting him against his long time friend Qarase with the hope of distracting the public’s opinion on their embarrassing true lost case against the duo which doesn’t look good on FICAC except to prove once again how corrupt and unethical FICAC is against their high esteem mission statement they purport to uphold.
We bet Weleilakeba’s QC was so ready to mince the FICAC prosecuting team with all their lies which would have attracted more unnecessary attention locally and from the international community on the integrity of FICAC, or the lack thereof, forcing FICAC to throw in the towel in advance before trial proper commenced.
It’s obvious that FICAC did not want this case to reach trial where all the tid bits of their stupidity will hit the public domain.
A legal commentator said that FICAC still have the powers to subpoena Weleilakeba, even if he is unwilling, but that can be a long winding and expensive process, now that he lives overseas.
He added that it’s unlikely that Weleilakeba will deviate from what he’s already submitted to the courts which has led to FICAC withdrawing all charges against him and Qarase which means that Weleilakeba may not be a desirable witness to trap Qarase after all.
Union marches against Fiji’s regime organised
INVITATION to FIJI PROTEST FOR WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
You are invited to join a protest by unions and Amnesty International on
2nd September.
Come & join us.
When: 12.30 to 1.30 pm on Friday, 2nd September, 2011
Where: High Commission of the Republic of the Fiji, 31 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington
Speaker - Helen Kelly, CTU President
The Fijian Government is removing the rights of workers and Unions and it’s getting worse…...
What are the issues?
- Physical assaults of union leaders
- Detention of union and church leaders
- Restriction on being able to hold meetings
- Major restrictions on the media
- Decrees removing trade union and human rights
- Military presence in civilian workplaces such as sugar mills
Two union officials are due to appear in court on 02 September for unlawful assembly.
Join the Council of Trade Unions and Amnesty International to show your support for human and trade union rights of the Fijian people.
For further information contact Georgina McLeod on georginam@nzctu.org.nz
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
International Unions March Against Illegal Fiji Regime
FIJI EMBASSY, CONSULATE & HIGH COMMISSION FACE
- Physical assaults of union leaders
- Detention of union and church leaders
- Restriction on being able to hold meetings
- Major restrictions on the media
- Decrees removing trade union and human rights
- Military presence in civilian workplaces such as sugar mills
More anti-regime graffiti in Fiji
Regime scammers targeting land
“What they did was simply review all taxpayer records back to 2000 and make all the taxpayers pay back any refunds / deductable allowances they had claimed through VAT or Income Tax over the preceeding 6 year period – thats how they managed to plug the economy post 2007.”
Real Jack said that “guys who run apartment complexes and that sort of thing were targetted for their VAT refunds – and their Income tax deductions were reviewed and all disallowed – and they were told that their assessments back to 2000 had been reassesed and disallowed and told to pay back all deductions and credits claimed- some guys ended up paying millions.”
“Same thing with other businesses – across the whole spectrum.”
“As a result lots of businesses have since closed down.”
“Thats why you have to see how these things play out – because when the money starts running dry there will be “measures” put in place to pull monies out of businesses in order to meet Govt’s expenses – and the guys who will end up paying are the very guys who invest in this thing”
“Fiji is a very unsafe business and investment destination right now – very unsafe.”
“Thats why all the fishing fleets are no longer coming here – and why we are not seeing any depth in new investments despite this land bank thing and all these Govt initiatives.”
“The only guys who invest do so because they have friends and connections in the Govt to smooth things over – and can do things ad hoc and get Govt interference to help them out if things go wrong – Naisoso wants something and they can call the AG direct – KFC gets into trouble and the AG can set up a meeting pronto – that sort of thing – the Chinese guys doing the bauxite thing in Bua have problems and they can call up the PM’s office and get things done pronto – however thats not the same for everybody else who have to go through the “normal” Fiji channels, hence the lack of investments depth.”
Fiji Sun said….
i-Taukei landowners will now benefit from land branding.
When asked to elaborate on land branding, deputy secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources Pene Baleinabuli, in his capacity as acting Permanent Secretary, said this was all part of the reform put in place by the Government.
He said this was a new concept and i-Taukei landowners would benefit financially.
In the past once a piece of land was leased out, the lessees were in control and in cases where they sub-divided the land and sold it, all financial benefits were theirs.
However, with land branding, the landowners will get a commission from the sale because the land is originally belongs to them and their clan members.
Currently many investors want to buy land from the Land Bank. When these investors develop the land and in case they wanted to sub-divide it and sell to other people, the landowners will have a share from the sale of that piece of land, because it is part of their land leased out to an investor. This, he says, is land branding.
“Landowners benefit from the sale of their land by a company that had leased it.” Mr Pene said. Under the reform, the Government had legislated the Land Use Decree 2010 which is basically about better utilisation of land and equitable returns to both landowners and tenants.
He said the regulations would include the provision to lease native titled land.
The key provisions of the regulations include the consent of native land owning units prior to depositing their land in the Land Use Bank including those under reserves; the election of trustees as legal representatives of the land owning units whose role will be limited to matters relating to leasing of lands, the collection and fair distribution of rentals and premiums.
The provisions also include the designation of land to be included in the Land Use Bank; the formulation of the State lease and forms for usage by the Land Use Unit; the distribution of rentals; leasing on the market value of designated land, and the valuation of designated native land by the State, government agencies and statutory authority.
Why Frank, Aiyaz, Nazhat’s coup strategy will kill Fiji
By Real Jack
Once the (Fiji) economy went into disequilibrium, everything else followed.
The Essental Industries decree has happened because of two things:
(a) the policy decision which led to Air Pacific losing its market to the budget carriers – this was a policy decision by this Govt in 2007. the net effect of that decision is what we now see with Air Pacific today – and so they have decided that they need an Essential Industries Decree to get the airline back into profits by making everybody work at $1:60 an hour – how thats going to help Air Pacific ? nobody knows
(b) the FSC fiasco with the mill restructure – and all the attendant mess with getting the wrong parts and all the rest of it – now they’ve got it running but its still not making money – and so they need the Essebtial Industries Decree to somehow fix it and make all the people there work at peanut salaries – how thats going to fix the FSC ? nobody knows.
but the net effect of all of these policy decisions from 2007 is what we now see here – reactionary decree by the Govt to cellotape the growing hole in the economy – and its now causing social disequilibrium within the broader society.
same thing with businesses – Chaudary’s tactics in 2007 has led to a reduction of the business pie. it looked good when they were announcing all these massive collections – but what they didn’t say was how they were killing businesses to extort those taxes – many of the tactics they used were simply unethical and completely counterproductive and simply illegal - i know because i have cases on these issues which are going on – and even today i can’t get any headway in Court – but the net effect of what they did was that it wiped out many productive businesses - so for a million dollars in cash they wiped out a company which was rolling over probably 4 to 10 million into the economy every year – they knock over the company for a million and then next year there’s nothing. its over. finito – and when you multiply that by the number of companies and businesses these guys knocked over you can see why by last year they were forced to increase the VAT rate and the various other fees and all the rest of customs duties and all that stuff across the economy – the size of the pie had gotten smaller and so to compensate they had to increase the tax rates because they were no longer getting volume – whereas prior to 2007 they had been working on a base of say 10 productive taxpayers – afterthey wuiped out 5 they ended up with 5 paying at the old tax rates which was simply no longer enough to meet the previous rates of return trhey were getting so they increased the tax rate to make up the slack.
and when they increased the tax rates it translated all across the economy increasing the cost of goods and services – raising inflation in the process – and placing a further strain on the already constricted domestic consumption segment of the economy – and now its created social preassures which they simply have no way of addressing – people are unable to send their kids to school, the cost of food has reached levels that many families cannot afford – families are struggling – its now turning from a social issue into a social problem for the govt
and what has the govt got to say about all this ? they blame it on the GFC
and so whilst they are blaming it all on the GFC the economy continues to stutter and is now getting into seriously dangerous waters – because we are at the payment end of the cycle – all those debts the govt started with in 2007 are now coming due – and we’ve started defaulting already – the FS one is already in default to the Indians – we have to start paying our Bonds starting this Septenber – and within the next 12 months we start paying Beijing for all the loans we took out five years ago to build the infrastructures
and this is serious because we are not making sufficent money to pay off these debts – our industries and our economy is not making the kind of money which will enable us to meet these debt repayments and have enough left over for us to continue to grow, let alone stay above water. its going to be a serious cash flow situation for us – its one thing the RBF making all these projections about growth – its another thing altogether having the cash flow to meet our obligations and enough to keep the machinery of the economy moving
the Decrees we are having now are all reactionary decrees – they are decrees which have arisen because of the situations created by the policy decisions made in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 – those situations take time to manifest themselves – there is a cycle – and its economic. we are seeing the outcomes of decisions made in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 (eg the Budget carrier decision over air Pacifics market) – and we are reacting to them by writing reactionary Decrees, knee jerk responses to complicated issues complicated by prroly thought through policies made back in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 – and the results of which have come home to roost and which we are desperately now trying to fix with cellotape solutions.
