Fiji Visitors Bureau have gone to extreme lengths of reassuring Australian travel consultants.
Fiji Times has reported that state funds amounting to $1 million dollars has been set aside for the construction of a new official residence for the Prime Minister. At the same time the P.M has commanded that the civil servants must operate more efficiently at the recent Civil Service awards night. However the head of the civil service has remarked that major improvements will not take place until reform process begins.
This obviously open up a chicken and egg debate on the entire exercise.
The C.E.O for Prime Minister's office has proudly annouced that decision, in the wake of the new Budget provisions to increase the Value Added Tax(VAT) from 12.5% to 15%. The second increase in taxes during Laisenia Qarase's term as Prime Minister.
This is the excerpt of the report of Fiji P.M's new residence.
$1m for PM's new residence
BRENDA RAGI
Sunday, November 05, 2006
ONE million dollars has been set aside next year to build the official residence of the Prime Minister.
This will be the beginning of a construction project taken on by the Government to renovate existing residences of senior government officials like judges, the Chief Justice and the Vice President.
CEO in the PM's Office Jioji Kotobalavu said six acres of crown land on Queen Elizabeth Drive close to the Muanikau Police Post had been identified.
"There is no official residence of the Prime Minister," he said.
"The one that the current Prime Minister lives in at Richards Road is not the official residence, it's a government quarters and is in a bad state.
"It leaks when it rains." Mr Kotobalavu said government decided in all fairness to the position of Prime Minister that an official residence should be built.
Like Government House, the new residence will be divided into two one would be the private living quarters of the Prime Minister and his family and the other would be the public area where the PM could host dignitaries and guests.
It will also have an office for the PM.
"This will start next year," Mr Kotobalavu said. "The Ministry of Works will take charge of the architecture and technical aspects of the project. This is why we'll need six areas of land because it'll be a whole complex with plenty of public reception area."
Mr Kotobalavu said whoever held the position of Prime Minister was entitled to a fully furnished, fully equipped and fully secure official residence. He said the proposed complex would also house support staff, their families and security.
"This is part of the bigger plan to improve residences of key state and government office holders like the Chief Justice, the Vice President and judges of the High Court.
"So it's starting with the PM because the government quarters he's staying in is not suitable and leaks when it rains and the PM can't hold official receptions there.
"This is why there is a provision next year for this," he said.
The current official residence of the Vice President on Ratu Sukuna Road was originally built to house the Prime Minister.
When Sitiveni Rabuka and his party lost in the 1999 general elections to the Labour Coalition, PM Mahendra Chaudhry offered it to then Vice President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.
Mr Chaudhry opted to remain at his private residence at Suva Point, which he later renovated using government funds. When Laisenia Qarase became PM, he stayed at rented quarters in Muanikau until moving to government quarters on Richards Road.
Mr Kotobalavu was unable to say what the complex would contain but added that a local competition would be held among architects.
The Ministry of Works will call for tenders on the design. "I can confirm that the Ministry of Works will invite a competition among the local architects. They should have the idea that the design should take into account the local culture and traditions," he said.
The $1m is expected to cover construction, security and finishing costs.
Judging from the report, the main justifications given for the construction of the new palace is that:
1.) No room for official cocktail parties.
2.) The current residence of the P.M leaks when it rains.
C.E.O Kotobalavu also mentions that there is no official residence for the Prime Minister's office. Clearly this is exuberance on the tab of Fiji taxpayers.
One can safely assume that the C.E.O of P.M's office will also have an adjoining mother-in-law type of flat in the rear, in addition to having some sort of financial gain to the entire project.
Below the cyclic trend of coups in Fiji has become more of a joke.
Probably these rumours of another coup borders on media sensationalism.
The newspaer AUSTRALIAN published an article on November 4th 2006, that fits that definition to a tee.
The most intriguing thing about these rumours, is that a greater portion of the foreign media are guilty of placing the cart before the proverbial horse. Australian Minister of Defense has downplayed the suggestion of "Gun-boat dipomacy" on the recent reports of Destroyers(HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Newcastle) steaming towards Fiji.
U.S State Department also issues a statement on the situation. The news thread of the Army collecting the consignment of pre-ordered ammunition has also added fuel to the fire of media pundits. Threats by the Police chief Andrew Hughes to arrest the Commander when he returns from his tour of the Mid-East, also makes a mockery of Hughes' authority over security in Fiji. The return of Commander Frank B to Fiji has been downgraded as a non-event by the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase; as he dances the night away.
Noticed this cartoon depicting the Great Council of Chiefs involvement post 2000 Fiji coup.
Club Em Designs
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