Total Ecclipse of Fiji Politics.

The expresion of interests by overseas cell phone companies has been delivered.




It is now, prudent of the Fiji Government to dismantle these monopolies.

Fiji Mercernaries in a company called Ronin High Risks is receiving alot of flak for work in PNG controlled island of Bouganvile.

Even the Fiji Methodist Church is on the war path in politics trying to blur the line between Church and State. Fiji Electoral Commission has unveiled some amendments to the Electoral Act. These new changes must also be communicated openly even to the rural dwellers in Fiji and overseas citizens.

This also raise the question of open information sourcing within the Fiji Civil Service itself.

It is only counter productive to have Government department turf battles done on the public's tab. When there are more pressing issue of concerns for Fiji like this complex problem of land.

Conservation of energy workshops is a nice way of extracting funds from Officials who lack the imagination and know how that accompanies their job description of their present positions. Fiji Media has been given a reminder of their obligations accompanying Freedom of Expression.

Two provocative letters from Fiji Times Letters to the Editor.

Mahogany deal

For the past three years, so much has been said about the mahogany deal but until today, the landowners are still not happy with what they received.

Just recently, the villagers of Naimasimasi, Savu and Sote put up a road block to signify their frustration over the unfulfilled promised made to them by the Fiji Hardwood Cooperation Limited. (FHCL).

The FHCL should always ensure that the commodity which occupied their land for a number of years, denying them the opportunity to farm for a long time.

Through observation, it is indeed unfortunate to witness that the poor landowners are caught in the economic and political web orchestrated by unscrupulous bureaucracy and red tape at the whim of big corporations and their local agents.

At first, the lands were given in good faith by the chiefs and their people, and it is the duty of the Government of the day to clarify to the landowners the economical gain and disadvantages.

The deal made to the mahogany landowners was symmetrical to the long- awaited Monasavu claim over their land compensation.

The President at that time was the late Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, who mooted the motion to his tauvus of Monasavu, who accepted the idea through the normal Fijian traditional protocol.

However, the architect of the million dollar project failed to clarify to the landowners, what they will receive as monetary benefits.

A few weeks ago, the Monasavu landowners won their court case through their lawyer Isireli Fa for the compensation payment of $52.8million, of which 10 per cent will be paid to him.

If the Government was really honest and genuine at heart in the development of Fijian resources, not much would have been paid to their lawyer as legal fees.

On the other end, the NLTB failed miserably to fulfil its obligation as custodian of all Fijian land as stipulated in the NLTB Act.

The Monasavu compensation claim is a precedent, which will agitate fellow resource owners to be more vigilant and prudent in the future.

The total area of the catchment is 25,075 acres. It contains Native Land crown schedule A and B, Forestry Reserve, as well as Native Reserve. Monasavu was vital to the nation.

It provides 80 per cent of Fiji's power, yet the landowners were deprived of the actual compensation for a long time.

As for the mahogany landowners there is a clear resemblance that their case is another Monasavu in the making.

The Fiji Hardwood Corporation Ltd, by pursuing their own end and greedy motive, are confined to pushing this frustrated people to demand for greater payment for the use of their land.

FHCL executives should also realise that time and tide are changing fast and the young educated landowners are taking over from their elders and it will be a new transition to the investors on the negotiation table.

The coup of 1987 and 2000 has tarnished the image of the Fijian people to be more cautious and prudent over their godly given received in the guise of economic development.

The Fijian landowners are always good at heart, and investors should always be honest and fair while negotiating with them.

After six weeks of hard work, some women and youths of Savu and Sote are not paid and have to wait for three more weeks despite the number of requests made to them.

The FHCL allowed Jale Baba to operate the banned circular saw in Kasavu and the recruiting of the people from outside to work as casual labourers while the landowners were given contract jobs.

Please FHCL executives, do not forget that the Mahogany landowners are people like you, who have university degrees.

They think globally but act locally.

Evarama Rokodrava
Tailevu

Smoke and Mirrors

Listening to the SDL budget I wondered if money allocated really will be spent or if it will be like other things around here just smoke mirrors.

For instance, two years ago we had a brand new dental clinic built here at Navatumali (Keiyasi) at a cost of $170,000 but it still stands unused, no dentists we are told but several months ago we read that government has no vacancies to employ unemployed dentists.

Smoke and mirrors, you see.

Despite past promises, our valley road, a major artery of Fiji's fresh produce, remains a bone-jarring disgrace that quickly destroys our trucks and bruises us and our produce.

The FEA was rapidly progressing up the valley until Cyclone Ami struck and the funds were diverted. But we had been told this was all European Union development funds.

How is it that EU funds could be diverted to hurricane relief?

More smoke and mirrors?

When asked about these issues the PM told us on his last visit that he would "look at it.''

We were fobbed off.

New Guinea is building a $20million project to process cassava into fuel, instead all we Fijians get is a $20million doll's house for chiefs.

There is also no talk of including cassava (which we Fijians grow) into the new biofuel project.

The SDL said all Fijians support the Unity Bill, but no one asked us.

The only people who did speak to us are the army whose stand we support.

I can name other beekeeping and farm assistance schemes that never eventuated but are more examples of SDL's smoke and mirrors.

Fortunately we have elections coming and politicians had better have some positive plans on roads, FEA, school conditions, expensive telephones and cassava biofuel otherwise we will send them a stronger message.

We want no more "we will look at it'' smoke and mirrors.

Anei Bale
Navosa

Club Em Designs