Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Wednesday 25 November 2009

(o+) Snippets: IMF, Land Reform, Labasa's New Health Unit, Violence against Women, Constitution Retentions, Corruption Suspicions

THE SPECTRUM SAGA IS UPDATED DAILY, 
WHEN SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING NEW.
SEE UPDATES AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.


AFTER TWO WEEK OF CONSULTATIONS IN FIJI,the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised Government that rushed civil service reforms could result in the loss of experienced manpower. The retirement age policy that  saw 2,044 civil servants go home earlier this year was part of the Civil Service Reform. The IMF also advised Government to stop borrowing, and reduce its reliance on the Fiji National Provident Fund as a source of finance. Full story.

WORK ON A LAND DATABANK has started at the Ministry of Lands and Minerals, working closely with the Native Land Trust Board. The work is part of the Ministry's 2010 - 2014 Strategic Planlaunched in Suva on Tuesday. Outcomes will assist land reform aimed at better land use and accessibility, needed to save the sugar industry and open more opportunities for tourism and agriculture. The reforms, part of the 2010-2014 Stategic Plan, will benefit landowners financially and not affect their ownership. The Plan was undertaken following community-wide consultations. Government says Fiji also needs the reforms so that State lands, minerals and groundwater resources are utilised and developed to provide better returns to the country's economy. Full story.

THE KOREAN-FUNDED ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY UNIT IN LABASA, the main town in Fiji's second largest island, is the largest in the country. The Unit cost $2.5m. Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma  said the project was to ensure people in the North received the best health care."With the completion of these new units, we are determined to make quality health services more accessible to our people."  Full story.

FIJI'S WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT is organizing 16 days of activism starting Wednesday. November 29th is International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, and December 1st World AIDS Day. Full story.

PARTS OF 1997 CONSTITUTION WILL BE RETAINED. Listen here to Radio Australia's interview with Attorney-GeneralAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. PM Bainimarama had earlier informed visiting EU officials that clauses on the rule of law, the judiciary, human rights and democratic principles will be re-authorised by presidential decree. The main element to be changed is the race-based electoral system.There never was any intention of "throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

MIDDLE EAST RECRUITER QUESTIONED. Timoci Lolohea, head of the Meridian Services Company, has again been taken in for questioning by Police following fresh complaints that he has received money in exchange for promises of jobs in the Middle East. It is suspected he was at the centre of a scam where more than 20,000 people allegedly paid a total of more than $3 million after being promised jobs in Kuwait. Full story.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Now for Timoci Lolohea. It was long ago known that he was allegedly running a scam. But no one chose to 'blow the whistle'. At that time, Qarase and his associated cronies were running the country. They did nothing. Neither did former Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes who was in a position to do something. In December 2006, both Laisenia Qarase and former Commissioner of Fiji Police Andrew Hughes turned their backs to Fiji, got onto a Hercules aircraft to New Zealand and only one returned. Now what does that tell us of the inherent State of Affairs? Something was "rotten in the State of Fiji". The human rights of everyone in Fiji including those of the minorities (which had been trampled over for years) went down the drain. God Help those who turn their backs!