The minimum wage in Fiji goes up 50 cents to $5 an hour today. That’s $40 for an eight-hour day, $200 for a five-day week, $10,400 for a 52-week year.
More than half the nation officially lives in poverty. Yet on the front page of today’s Fiji Times, the FijiFirst “rat” and Minister for Immigration, Viliame Naupoto, flashes an expensive ring with a precious stone and what looks like a second gold ring.
The former RFMF Commander is not alone, of course. Top of the list for an ostentatious display of wealth is the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, with his infamous “$150,000 plus” solid gold Rolex.
He refuses to say where it came from. Yet aside from the question of whether it was a corrupt payment for favours rendered, it is right up there for sickeningly inappropriate conduct when the lowest-paid Fijian gets a 50 cents an hour pay rise today.
But wait. There are more members of the crassest club in Fijian politics – MPs who rub their affluence in the faces of ordinary Fijians on $5 a hour. Like the luveni talatala, Justice Minister Siromi Turaga, who has come a long way from being the son of a impecunious Methodist minister.
At least Viliame Naupoto has his bling on his wedding finger in place of the customary gold band (or nothing at all if you’re on $5 a hour). But flash-as-a-rat-with-a-gold-tooth Siromi has what looks like a diamond encrusted gold ring on the middle finger of his right hand, along with an accompanying gold bracelet.
He really must be a black American, eh? A poor man’s Kanye West. Or OJ Simpson caught in the act red-handed, as a Grubsheet reader suggests below.
Then there is the voluble Minister for Sugar and “Minister for Looking After the Minorities”, Charan Jeath Singh – the Labasa multi-millionaire who has at least earned some of his own money over the years rather than sucking off the public teat like the aforementioned dandies.
That is some ring on his left middle finger – gold and (what looks like) diamonds. Levu, levu!
Anyway, Fiji. As an old saying goes, it’s pretty to see what money can buy. And especially if you’re one of the politicians who awarded themselves average pay rises of 138 per cent last year.
For those of you on the minimum wage, enjoy your 50 cents an hour more.
And yalo vinaka. Vote these bastards out as soon as you get the chance. Because they really are taking the piss out of us but you most of all.
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UDATE WEDNESDAY AM:
Incidentally, gold teeth are evidently back as a fashion accessory. And you can even get diamonds encrusted in them.
Just the thing for Coalition ministers as they bite into their wildly generous salary packages while poorly-paid Fijians contemplate how much difference their extra $4 a day (50 cents x 8hrs) is going to make down at the markets.
Imagine. They can pass by in their Prados, wind the window down briefly for the sun to catch the glint of their smiles, and move on without a care in the world. The voters would love it.
Naupoto lost a lot during the 2022 elections. As an MP for the former FFP they had to pay for their own election campaign. He had to sell his house to fund his election campaign in 2022. Now he rents a government quarters paying monthly $1500 at Muanikau.
Yes, he really looks as if he is struggling. He is now on a full ministerial salary plus allowances and perks and even the ability to buy a duty free personal vehicle.
More than your minimum $5 an hour, that’s for sure. So maybe the rings are new and a personal reward for doing it tough.
It is Epereli fools day, GD. The minister is joining in the fun wearing expensive jewelry, flash suit, expensive shit -sorry, shirt and tie to gabber on about low paying jobs.
He is pissing on the people for sure, but fails to realize at the same time the joke is on him.
I really doubt that he sold his house.
There’s no doubt that he sold his soul.
You know,, I often wondered if there was any significance to wearing a ring on the middle finger. It is definitely not the “ring finger.” Some people say it symbolizes stability, balance…etc. Something these lot are definitely lacking.
Then I thought, ‘hold on… hold on a minute, maybe these bastards are just giving us all the middle finger. Sumabishes! That’s what it is.
SMH, they want to look good when they hold the middle finger up to the electorate.
Jinanas! Hopefully, next year,, we can all give them BOTH middle fingers.
With a ring on them, of course!
Neat trick naupoto has up his sleeve too, deftly hiding the expensive watch.
When your friends, benefactors and funders are Motibhais, Hari Punja and Family, Reddy Group, Kundan Singh, Nitya Reddy, Himmat Lodhia and Fiji Water, you will always be rewarded for corrupt practices, Special exemptions, Diplomatic postings and nepotism. Vote with your head rather than hatred and emotion in 2026. Nothing lasts forever.
The President with his fancy watch and many rings. Recently, Vosarogo was flashing a heavy gold watch. The vulgarity of these people is endless when the population is struggling with the high costs of living!
It’s all good tabusoro.
The ministers must look the part when poverty stricken voters come asking for their help, to hear ‘sa sega tale ga na sagamoli, kai.’
Puts the petulant voters in their perpetual place for voting the way they repeatedly do.
The various rings don’t represent the prevailing climate of Suffe-ring.
But each to their own fashion style or faux pas. (Considered socially inappropriate or unacceptable). Proceeds of crime / corruption excluded.
I feel sorry for the common itaukei. When will they get brains that their own leaders have been screwing them for the last 100 years. These politicians than incite them to say “Kai injia lako india” and vulagis, Kai valagi etc.
IN 1999 when Chaudhary became PM, TLTB CEO Marika bocikau told that no farm land lease will be renewed, natives took over their land and started planting para grass. Within 1 year they got rid of Chaudhary becuz the para grass was not getting them enough $$$.
In comes Qarase, 40 millions agriculture scam, still Kai Viti resorted to stealing from Kai india and vulagis, still blaming others.
2006 to 2021 Frankie – still Kai viti not progressed.
Now Rambo – more Kai Viti stealing. Still blaming vulagi and Kai India.
Why did the British bring the vulagis becuz they knew the natives sa levu mokusiga.
While common Kai Viti plants para grass, ganja, meth, steal, rape, murder,etc. The natives leaders flaunt jewels.
Too good.
Troy Lee- your last paragraph is so to the point. If only the natives could see this and realize. Their fate is now sealed.
And you know why they and like minded corrupt people will never progress . Because of bad hearts and bad intentions.
The greatest robbery took place after independence. The tacit understanding was that the welfare of ITAUKEIS is now the responsibility of the puppet master GCC aided by puppet government.
Both parties did nothing to better the lives of the grassroot ITAUKEI. In fact they enriched themselves while enslaving the grassroot ITAUKEI in a strategically engineered fiefdom that the grassroot class never really benefited from.
Frank did his best to bestow some semblance of respect and dignity to the grassroot ITAUKEI in terms of lease distribution and land protection.
The puppet masters are back and trauma bragging that they been deprived because of Frank’s decree that abolished the GCC, aided very much by puppet government, both on hugging and Reconciliation crusade distracting people from the real bread and butter issues, while they’re enriching themselves and unashamedly flaunting their ill gotten gains.
I don’t have enough middle fingers for these degenerates.
Bring back FRANK !
A turncoat, a cheap shit and one never to be trusted. Who would go to an event to listen to these bastards? What does it tell you about people who go to events to listen to these idiots? Not just him but every one of the ministers and the pm. Why would anyone go to these events, unless of course, you have no brains.
Oh, the dazzling blings it has finally graced us….blinding everyone from the governace flops, fiscal disaster, nepotism and corruption!
All we can see through this radiant haze is “2013 constitution bad, 1997 constitution Good” a vision of brilliance.
Some of their supporters like Pramesh Sharma is known to have given expensive gifts to three ministers during their NZ trips ( Manoa K – his new gold watch, Biman – his Gucci wallet and Vosorongo – the gold chain) – purchased from Sona Sansaar in Auckland. What favours has he received in return? More board positions or exemptions for companies he is affiliated with.
Pramesh Sharma, this guy is bad news! People of Fiji should boycott any company this person is associated with.
Man, I get so much flack for suggesting the Westminster system has been an utter failure for our nation.
Judge a man, government by its fruit?!
A whole legal fraternity, a whole academic fraternity, a whole religious fraternity, a whole cultural fraternity, a whole workers fraternity, a whole business fraternity, the complete security services cohort, a whole nation of people who spend 60 seconds once every four years in a booth and this is the sum total involvement we spend in the governance of our country and we deem to call this democracy?
WE have a country and then leave the most critical component, the peoples choice of representative to keep the bureaucrats, administrators of government, honest, to CHANCE.
How stupid can we be as a people to have such a system in place that brings out the worst of humanity and put them in “power” over us and expect anything other than what we have. “Its the economy, stupid” as Bill Clinton quipped, for us in Fiji, ” its the system, stupid” as Ian Simpson quips.
Yep, go and have a think people, have a serious think about what systems are available out there and what may work, cause this one ain’t and never about to.
Naupoto also wears a golden penis ring.
He is da man wif da bling !
Oh really? He seems quite capable of making a dick of himself without one. But we’ll take your word for it.
These native clowns and their flauting of gold watches, rings, bracelets chains, etc etc etc…resemble the lifestyle of many corrupt African politicians. They may have drifted to Fiji thousands of years ago but still have a lot in common with their African bros and hoes.
Okay listen to this ! Did you know that Rabuka also has a tendency to wear gold chains with his vests? And even Rt Naiqama the pedo wears expensive rings, gold bracelets and a heavy gold chain like he is a black man and a mafia king ?
Bloody desperate idiots ! They always say in Lau. Mata ni ta boka 🙏🙈
To go off the point somewhat,but back to basics. When you live in a country with a lot of rain and a lot of sunshine, the grass grows at a pace those in New Zealand and even more so in Australia would give anything for. There is no season in this country when the grass doesn’t grow. So you don’t have to cut it and bale it for the winter to feed your animals.
Travel from Suva to Nadi and count how many animals you see along the way. You will be lucky to count thirty.
If a village was able to buy two goats, a male and a female and not eat them, they could be living off goat meat forever after a year or two of breeding the resultant offspring.
There is so much greenery going to waste with nothing to eat it. Goat meat is the most eaten meat in the world, far surpassing sheep meat. It is low in fat and high in protein.
Goats can be tethered with a collar and chain to a sturdy stake and moved daily and need very little water.
Why is this not what every Fiji villager does?
Sorry to get off subject of bling but has to be said, so much of a bounty of fresh green grass wasted. Come on people!!
For some of Fiji’s poor, goats ARE bling. They must dream of having a goat or two. But your suggestion is a good one.
BTW, what happened to the bred-for-Fiji sheep? The “Fiji Fantastic”? There was a blaze of publicity about them under the last government.
Met the guy who was permanent secretary for agriculture at the time, he told me they sent breeding pairs out to quite a few farmers, after a while they went to check on their progress and found they had been eaten before any offspring were produced. Hence my comment regarding the goats.
…a male and a female and not eat them, they could be living off goat meat. …
Haha! Good one! Not eating them is only 50% of the problem. The other 50%: mei kua ni buktako na mei! Lol!
Check with the talo, manioca, uvi, kava, and yes, goat farmers in Any Village, Feejee.
In Kadavu there’s too many goats, 2&4-leg variety, but not enough weed and porn.
Motto: What is mine is mine, what is yours is mine too.
I hope Frank and Khaiyum kick themselves everyday and beg the almighty for forgiveness. They had support of majority but became delusional. Honestly believed that the 2 could control the agenda forever. Forgot that the dogs were watching and salivating for their chance. Rest of the country can wait and hope for some semblance of decent government to return.
Who needs food, medication, hospital, road, education when Fijians can just feel happy and satisfy themselves with the happiness and good fortune of our politicians?
Take a look at these photos again.
Nah, all you guys are wrong. Take another 👀 look at those photos.
Naupoto seems like his actual golden ring is being interfered with.
Siromi, The Dude, how wrong can you be GD, nothing like Kanye West. More like AJ Simpson looking at the cop walking up to him with the handcuffs. The ‘oh shit’ look.
Charan, obviously calling the waiter “oi, where’s my whisky?”
And Siri? … Wei lei, here comes The Minister for Bonking and Weed.
Latest hot news ! The amendments to the constitution will include extending the term of government back to 5 years like the SDL government had. The Bainimarama government following the introduction of the 2013 constitution reduced that to a 4 year term for any elected govt .
I am reliably told Rabuka has directed Warden Nassey to include that change so that his govt can extend their term to 2027! That way he hopes they can actually do some work and get some of their election promises fulfilled !! If that’s the case gosh we will just die already!
A lot will change if their term is extended to 2027! That will mean the elections can be held latest by Feb 2028! 😏
Nothing surprises me with these unconscionable, lying, self-indulgent parasites.
Ministers speak with forked tongues and gold teeth.
I was told it is the year of the snake in some cultures so what else can we expect.