Building a Social Safety Net, FSC's Alleged Negligence, Some Crook Pharmicists, Lottery Zero Point Five

WEEKEND READING.  ♦ Allen Lockington column ♦ The Eleven Pillars of the People's Charter 
♦ Jone Baledrokadroka's Ideas on Legitimacy  ♦ Fr Barr on VAT.

 
BUILDING FIJI'S SOCIAL SAFETY NET. Food vouchers of $30 a month at a cost of $7.5m were introduced in March 2010 and initially affected 27,000 needy people. In the December 2011 Budget Government announced a further allocation of $4m and a widening of criteria for rural families to cater for another 10,000 people.

Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni (photo) said the additional money will allow assistance to people 70 years and over, and families with children, the sick and infirm, and pregnant mothers living in households where the annual income is under $10,000. The measure is one of several that go some way towards providing a welfare net to Fiji's more needy families. Other measures include:

• Raising the income tax threshold from $9,000 to $15,000
• School bus fare subsidies and free school textbooks
• Price controls
• More rigorous work by the Consumer Council and Commerce Commission
• More worker protection and "promise" of minimum wages
• Exemption from user-pays medical costs
• VAT exemption on essential food items
• Delay on VAT increase until after schools start

A total of 10,000 recipients in rural and remote areas will be identified under the Government’s new food voucher programme. The Ministry's permanent secretary Govind Sami said: "The $4million that has been set aside in the new food voucher programme is only for 10,000 recipients living in rural communities. Categories range from old, sickly and also pregnant mothers in the rural communities who will be visiting rural dispensaries and health centers for their clinics and about 4000 to 5000 families with children attending primary schools.”. Meanwhile, the introduction of the Westpac Handy Cards to Family Assistance (FA) and Care and Protection (C&P) recipients will see social welfare services taken to an improved level.(2011, No:0014 /AG).

The Fiji Times, however, reports that the Ministry is having some difficulty in winning the support of small shops and cooperatives in some rural areas, and intends to re-advertise requesting their participation.

DISTURBING REPORT ON NORTHERN SUGAR. The FSC and the Fiji Cane Growers Association are disputing the amount of unharvested cane in the Northern Division that has been allowed to go to waste. FCGA Labasa Branch President Mohammed Rafiq wants  PM and Sugar Minister Bainimarama to come and see "what is the real story about the sugar industry in the Northern Division."

"We are very much concerned as I have mentioned that sugar cane farmers are suffering a lot. They are crying on the farms because they all had the hope that their cane would be crushed and than they will get something at the end of the day.At least a tonne of harvested cane went to waste after the Labasa Mill ended crushing on 24th of last month, and there would have been more except that many farmers could not deliver all their harvested cane as there were no quota and rail trucks provided.

SCGA Acting CEO Sundresh Chetty says a survey conducted by the council showed that more than one thousand tonnes of harvested cane was not accepted by the Labasa Sugar mill before it ended its crushing season. The Council claims negligence on the part of the FSC in Labasa and as submitted a full report to PM’s office.

PHARMACISTS BREACH RULES. A survey by the Consumer Council that included 47 of Fiji's 55 pharmacists found numerous examples of overcharging (57%), mislabelling (40%), incorrect prescribed dosages, and receipts that did not include the pharmacy's name or address. None of the receipts specified the individual medicine names. The Council recommended the prosecution of offending pharmacies and a review of the functions of the Fiji Pharmaceutical Society with a view to strengthening its Code of Conduct and monitoring its members'  trading practices.

Meanwhile, doctors are being advised and medical students taught to prescribe according to  generic drug names, that Fiji imports in bulk, not the far more expensive branded names. Individuals who can afford originator drugs have the freedom to purchase these items and pay a premium price.  The retail pharmacies can make their margins from these patients.  The role of government is to protect and care for the vulnerable, sick, poor and aged patients of Fiji by controlling the price of common generics. -- Based on 2011, No:0018/MOH.

LOTTERY ZERO POINT FIVE. The Fiji Rugby Union's decision to cut the price of its lottery tickets from $20 to $10 because they had too many unsold tickets would be laughable in most other rugby-playing countries, but not in Fiji where an aggrieved FRU Chairman Bill Gavoka, faced with a likely $125,000 fine for breach of Commerce Commission regulations, could only say "It's mind boggling that the process is in place."  For some reason, NZ Stuff in reporting the event, had to said that "Bainimarama has been at odds with [FRU] several officials, including trustee and former military dictator Sitiveni Rabuka and the CEO Keni Dakuidreketi." What's that got to do with the price of fish -- or a lottery ticket!

But there's more.  FRU chief executive officer Keni Dakuidreketi has now accused the Commerce Commission of acting unlawfully, and hurled personal insults at the Commission chairman, Dr Mahendra Reddy.

I  have no way of knowing what the law says but if it allows lottery tickets to be sold to some customers for $20 and $10 to others, where the prize is the same for both, it is demonstrably unfair and needs to be changed.  This was not a post-Christmas sale with prices discounted 50%!