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

Thursday 2 December 2010

More Water Flows, Coup4¼, MSG Reconciliation Meeting, Public Service Training, HIV/AIDS, FDB Bad Loans

FIJI WATER. Here are two links to its Australian coverage in The Australian: One and Two.

The NZHerald reported that "Fiji Water is part of a group of food and beverage companies, and is owned by two Southern California billionaires, Lynda and Stewart Resnick (photo). Court documents submitted by the company in 2008 showed that Fiji Water was owned by an entity in Luxembourg, a tax haven, and recent Swiss financial records showed Mr and Mrs Resnick transferred Fiji Water assets to companies in Switzerland." Read the  full article.

FijiVillage asks Fiji Water how many bottles.

And here's a link to the American website  MotherJones. The posting attracted lots of comments. Check them out.

DEVIOUS COUPFOURPOINTFIVE. First, you told us the army was on the way to Yaqara Note 1, below), and when this information was shown to be incorrect, your "army" transmutes into a security firm comprising, like most other security firms in Fiji, former soldiers.(Note 2, below). You did not back down from the first story and now aim to confuse with 'under guard,' 'soldiers and military officers.'  Would you have us believe the army and a security firm are one and the same?

Note 1. Breaking! Army Heading to Fiji Water factory! ...the army is heading out to the Rakiraki factory.Coupfourpointfive understands the army will arrive at Fiji Water in a short while, one o'clock according to our source.We understand the army will be posted at the factory for two weeks.

Note 2. Fiji Water Factory Under Guard. Former soldiers and military officers are guarding the Fiji Water factory in Yaqara, near Tavua, after the company gave notice it was quitting Fiji. They are part of the security firm, HomeLink, who we understand will be at the factory for two weeks.

MSG RECONCILIATION CEREMONY. Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola will represent the PM at the Melanesian Spearhead Group "reconciliation" ceremony in Honiara on December 15th because the PM "will not back down from what he had earlier stated that he will not attend." This is despite a visit last week by a special MSG envoy Solomon Islander Patterson Oti, to discuss the ceremony which aims to solve the chairmanship issue. Vanuatu PM Edward Natapei is expected to offer his apology to Fiji for his refusal to hand over the chairmanship earlier this year. I think the PM would show generosity of spirit and win more hearts by attending. .

TRAINING THE PUBLIC SERVICE. PSC Chairman Josefa Serulagilagi reports that Permanent Secretaries have recently completed five days of training on various aspects of leadership and how they can more effectively bring about the changes resulting in improved efficiency and service delivery.The training is in line with Pillar 3 of the Peoples Charter and the Roadmap on Democracy and Sustainable Economic Development. Further training which will include Deputy Secretaries and Heads of Departments will continue next year. -- Based on 2010, No:2039/MOI,

FIJI AND HIV/AIDS. Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma launched World AIDS Day at the Fiji School of Medicine yesterday, saying the fight against HIV/AIDS needs to have a change in hearts, cultures and attitudes.

“Neither the UN or bilateral partners nor scientific findings of microbicides or vaccines against HIV; neither the Ministry of Health or Fiji Government nor the churches or any religious organization can solve this problem on their own - it must be everyone and everybody’s business,” he said.

Dr Sharma said less than half of the 354 reported cases of HIV in Fiji were alive today. “There are at least 30 new infections each year and at least 5 people of AIDs related complication every year in Fiji,” he said. “More importantly over three-quarters of those infected ...do not know they have it. We can’t ignore the fact that abstinence and faithfulness to one partner are the ideal and not reality as we are dealing with our own weaknesses and imperfections of the human flesh.”

Dr Ken Chen of WHO cautioned that while Fiji is in the low prevalence HIV/AIDS group, "our Sexually Transmitted Infections rate is high and it’s a risk factor in the prevention of the spread of HIV." -- Based on 2010, No:2050/MOI

BANK BAD LOANS OVER $24 MILLION.The Public Accounts Committee’s scrutiny of the Auditor General’s 2006 Report into the Fiji Development Bank http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=011210bea4e47f26acd47e1c59f0f8 shows that its bad loans amounted to over $24 million.

The Committee's audit also found that the mandatory annual reviews on loans and allowances had not always been carried out which reflected the bank’s failure to strictly undertake monitoring and supervision of loans.

9 comments:

Fiji in Wikileaks dump said...

Croz, Fiji makes its first appearance as Wikileaks continues to hang out the State Department's dirty laundry. It's the account of a meeting between a senior US official and someone from the Commonwealth Secretariat. Proof that the Kiwis are our enemies and the Malaysians are our friends. Doubtless there'll be more to come.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/211529

Wheres the money? said...

Fiji Water is paying only $11000 in lease payments. If this was any other big company the land owners would be making a huge uproar, blocking the roads and complaining to government about their share. Why hasn't this happened here?

All reports I heard is that the locals in the area are actually very happy with Fiji Water. But with such a low lease payment you would think that would not be the case. I think this proves what great marketers they are. All that is required is a few charity projects now and then, maybe in combination with some "off the books" payments directly to the key leaders.

skersp said...

Croz,

I do think that C4.5 is generally 90% rubbish except when they have a paper from prof. Narsey. His last one is really good, what do you have so say about it?

Budget comments said...

@ skersp & Croz

Agree the latest article from Prof. Narsey is good and would again challange croz to re publish on this site or at least provide a summary and a link like you do to the main stream media in fiji.

Croz you spend a lot of time bagging C4.5. The site does not deserve so much attention but good opportunity to show you will accept alternate views.

M>B>N said...

@skersp

...and some similar comments from FLP. How they manage to stay out of jail I don't know. I guess being a part of the Military government and coup gives them some liberties no one else gets.

http://www.flp.org.fj/n101201.htm

Reasonable comments albeit from someone who has about as much credibility as the PM.

Nothing much good has even come out of the FLP but I do admire them for having a go. When was the last time we heard anything from a former SDL member of parliment ?

Yea yea yea said...

@ Bank Bad Loans

It is interesting that we mainly only ever here about auditor reports that relate to 2006 or previously. What of the performance of FDB since Dec 2006, what about the performance of other entities and government departments ?

We know for sure that the military has and continues to over spend but there never ever seems to be any consequence about that.

Wadan doce watch said...

Waden Narsey-Goreng "good"? What have you guys been smoking? He's an anti-regime critic through and through whose analysis has either been suspect or plain wrong. Read him over at the other place, if that's what you fancy. But not here. Ia, na tamata oqo sa sega ni tamata vuku e sa sega ni kila na veika eso baleta na'i lavo ni matanitu. Leave him to 4.5.

sesse said...

@Wadan doce...

the quality of your argumentation is, ironically, compatible with that of most posts on c4.5... childish.

facts are facts. can you show us where prof Narsey's is wrong in his latest paper?

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