The begging bowl in the Beggar Nation is out again – this time the fat cats of the business community demanding that the government come up with a “financial support package” to get them through the fallout from the Middle East War.
Is there no-one in modern-day Fiji willing or able to stand on their own two feet? Is there anyone who doesn’t expect a handout from the long-suffering taxpayer when there are almost 11-billion reasons why the cupboard is bare?
Yes, folks, that’s our national debt – $10.9-billion – from a government that inherited $9.5-billion from the FijiFirst government and promised to reduce it yet three years later, has taken it to a new high. And now that the storm clouds are descending on the global economy, Fiji is about to get well and truly hammered- on the receiving end of an almighty lesson in the folly of not tightening our belts back then and of our politicians leading us into an orgy of spending starting with their own salaries and benefits.
Of course, there’s a case for assisting the one third or more of Fijians living in poverty as oil prices go through the roof and the cost of everything else rises. We did it in the COVID emergency and will probably have to do it again, which means borrowing even more. Yet there is something genuinely obscene about Fiji’s business community already claiming the right to some kind of rescue package for them even before the economic tsunami hits.
Hang on fellas (and ladies). Don’t your business models include contingencies for when things turn bad? You happily live on the hog with your fancy houses and cars and overseas holidays when the going is good. So why should the rest of the nation come to your rescue when the music stops?
The CEO of the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, Edward Bernard, seems to think that when costs go up because of external pressures, those costs should be passed on to the taxpayer, not only in terms of higher prices but, wait for it, a government bailout for the fat cats so they can continue to get the cream.
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FACT: Fiji simply cannot afford to prop up the business community with taxpayer funding when we already lack the national resources to properly cater for those most in need.
FACT: The Coalition has encouraged a hand-out mentality in the private sector by giving public money to private companies already making healthy profits. The $1.7-million given to CFL-Fiji Village for “public service broadcasting” is a case in point – announced in the same week that William Parkinson‘s company reported a doubling of its profits.
FACT: The Coalition has also encouraged a hand-out mentality in the private sector by giving a seven year corporate tax holiday to the billionaire owners of Fiji Water. (See our recent story on the role played in that by Richard “I have the means” Naidu, who also happens to be leading the charge in the High Court later today to slay the crocodile hunter, Justice David Ashton Lewis. See below)
So having set these woeful precedents, is it any wonder that Sitiveni Rabuka now has the Commerce and Employers Federation banging on his door?
Coming soon on Grubsheet, why Fiji is now in all sorts of trouble because it is woefully unprepared for the fallout from Trump‘s war on Iran, which has enveloped much of the Middle East and is sending economic shock waves around the world.
The Coalition can’t be expected to have seen it coming but it can certainly have been expected to leave us less vulnerable. As we’ll demonstrate in our special report, the government’s failure to properly manage the Fijian economy means that the nation is facing a monumental challenge.
How do we dig ourselves out of it? All the government’s efforts need to be directed at answering that question to avert catastrophe. But it can start by telling the members of the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation that they won’t be getting any financial support from the taxpayer. Because on the list of priorities for assistance, they are at the very bottom where they belong.
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So the Opposition leader, Inia Seruiratu, tells us that the cost-of-living crisis in Fiji was already biting long before the war against Iran.
He’d have a lot more credibility had he not accepted a doubling of his salary from $100,000 to $200,000 plus a house in the Lynda Tabuya-led orgy of spending on MP’s salaries and benefits.
Yes, the fat cats in the parliament have also had their whiskers in the cream. And left the Fijian people a lot more vulnerable than they might otherwise have been.
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As the economy crumbles, so does the fight against corruption. Get set for more drama in the courts today as the gang of fat cats in the criminal justice system tries to destroy the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry and restore Barbara Malimali to FICAC.
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And what’s our response to that, Fiji?
Dua, rua tolu. “Well they would say that, wouldn’t they!!!”
Let’s just remind ourselves of where Tanya Waqanika sits in all of this:
We are now at Day 13 of that “constitutional crisis” and there is no sign of the President yielding to the demand of the JSC and the Chief Justice to remove Lavi Rokoika.
On the contrary, the word is that Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and the Prime Minister are making it known privately that she will go and Barbara Malimali will be reinstated “over their dead bodies”.
Never a dull moment, eh?
Wait, what? ‘The fat cats in the criminal justice system [are trying] to destroy the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry’.
I thought today’s hearing was only to get the Government to release all of the transcripts of the evidence taken in during the COI.
That shouldn’t be controversial especially to an ex-journo. Especially given noone’s even seen the full transcripts. Not even the judge.
Unless of course there’s something to hide.
Thanks Charlie Charters. “Mike Maugham”? Not much of a disguise when you’ve mentioned previously that a family member is writing/ has written a book about Somerset Maugham in Fiji. Unless the celebrated journalist for the Irish Times of the same name has taken a sudden interest in these isles.
For the record, you are concerned with the transcripts of the “wretched, sewage” CoI being released. I am concerned with the CoI recommendations being implemented to bring the “crocodiles” to account.
My overall premise is correct. You are all trying to destroy the CoI. You, Tanya, Barbie, Richie Rich, Wylie Coyote, Laurel, Graham Leung, Manoa, Biman etc. And there are no two ways about it.
Your intellect is starting to match the state of your body. Flabby.
Methinks 1 Yorkshire pudding has made its way down that piehole.
Why can’t that slob keep his runny nose out of Vitia’s business?
The problem with the current clowns in government is that they couldn’t ride on the success of the FijiFirst govt by continuing with the same economic policies. Instead of reducing the national debt, they increased it by almost $2 billion within 3 years.
Richard and Baimaan looted and colluded with Fiji Water by giving them tax cuts.
The clowns in govt gave themselves substantial pay rises and allowances thus adding a further financial burden to the economy.
The Coalition clowns couldn’t run the nation when times were good! How the hell will they manage it when the global economy is about to crumble!!!
These guys don’t have any intellectually competent individual who has sound economic policies. I’m also certain that these imbeciles don’t even have a risk management policy with contingency plans to manage such economic conditions. They’ve been reliant on begging countries like Australia to supplement their annual budget.
The Coalition monkeys have already molested the country and its funds since coming to power, and now they are going to lead the Fijian economy to its doom.
Here’s a thought! Why doesn’t the FCEF lobby the govt to take a 20% pay cut across the board and set it aside to help the poor and needy (not large businesses) when the economy goes spiraling down in the coming weeks and months.
Rambo’s Rolex will fetch a good price at an auction too – especially if you label it as a Rolex which belongs to Fiji’s coup criminal and “dicktator”.
Hold on Fiji…the cost of living is about to skyrocket and the economy is set to take a nosedive with these monkeys in the driver’s seat.
Only the Fiscal Review Committee is qualified to lead a response to this global crisis. It can use the twin levers of tax holiday and VAT rise to counter the global downturn.
1. Tax holiday dished out according to established procedures for companies that qualify.
2. Raise VAT on anything the poor consumer uses.
Job done, crisis averted.
Vinaka Graham, for continually exposing the country’s mess, as the local media is being paid (by the public) to have neither the ball nor the gall to report on it (for the benefit of the public).
Naming and shaming Fiji Water and Communications Fiji is just the tip of the ice berg of corporate corruption. Next on the list would be Pacific Building Solutions. Add Motibhai Group, Munro Leys etc. Phew, what a who’s who in private business! MBA students at USP, FNU and UF will have a field day researching this topic.
Then, advocates of good governance through Leadership Fiji have a board of (mainly private sector) directors chaired by William Parkinson.
Oh, BTW, Wiley leads the peak private law bodies in Fiji and the South Pacific region.
And LOO Inia will constantly be the same as long he never changes his tie colours.
Isa, our already suffering citizens, at the mercy of public-private partnership Fiji style.
As dear Fred says, interesting times ahead!
GD I think there’s a major storm brewing anyway . Mosese Bulitavu in the FBC news today has shared in parliament that the people of Gau are so happy with govt that they want Rabuka to continue for one more term!!
I have reliable sources that are saying PAP wants the constitution amended to extend the term of govt to another two years so a total of 6 years altogether for any govt ! The argument is that 4 years isn’t enough to do any major changes or development .
So we have to watch out as this coalition govt has the potential to be cunning ! If they do achieve that – we are doomed !
The RFMF meanwhile is also likely to have a nervous time beckoning as Jone Kalouniwai’s term as Commander finishes in September of this year – and that’s well before the General Elections is likely to be !
Rabuka knows Kalouniwai is a pro Ro Teimumu supporter being a member of the Rewa chiefly family . Rabuka will want someone he knows and can control and he can’t have that relationship with Kalouniwai.
So I guess Kalouniwai is definitely on his way out and Rabuka is gunning to stay around for a while ! All Rabuka has to do is use his additional 11 former FFP ministers to amend the constitution and by the time the next two years is up: he will be ready for his death bed! Ratu Naiqama and Rabuka want to retire on top of the world ! Who’s going to dare resist that ? Eh !
The nation will not accept the election being deferred. So you ask “who is going to resist”? Anyone with half a brain and an eye on Fiji’s welfare. This simply cannot go on.
Good ! So let’s make sure we wake the people up and point them to resist any idea for this stupid no morals govt to continue in whatever form !!
Out out you all go bloody useless unemployable scumbags !!