Foreshadowing Abuses.

Fiji Prime Minister is obviously trying to defend the use of Government vehicles during the political campaign. It is another example of abuse of office in Fiji Government. Another matter of concern is the miscarriage of justice for the allegations of office abuse . In one case which was been cleared by the Justice system, yet the accused has not been reinstated.

The other similar case is the C.E.O tried and found guilty of abuse yet, still enjoys the benefits. This particular case fits the definition of monotonous unsubstantiated denials. Also known as Fiji M.U.D.

PM has benefits: Qarase

Wednesday Fiji
Live April 12, 2006

Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase Fiji's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase says a Prime Minister is entitled to the full use of an executive vehicle for both official and unofficial purposes. "I think this is one thing that the people don 't realize.

The position of Prime Minister goes with some entitlements and one of the entitlements is that the Prime Minister is entitled to the full use of an executive vehicle, 24 hours a day, for both official and unofficial purposes. "I was told from very reliable sources that previous Prime Ministers have always used Government vehicles when they travel to campaign meetings. I have never done that and I will not do that.

I will use private vehicles, or hired vehicles, which is what I am doing at the moment, "he said. An Information Ministry statement said Qarase made the comments as political parties claimed the PM and some Ministers used official vehicles to attend political meetings.

He added that he had issued a directive to his Cabinet Ministers not to use Government vehicles when they attend political gatherings or campaigns. "Yes I gave the directive in at least two Cabinet meetings and I believe they are following those instructions," he said.

However, Qarase also stated that he had never used Government vehicles for political campaigning as claimed by some political parties. "Yes I stated that I have never used Government vehicle for political campaigning, but I did use it for going to the SDL office which is just 200 metres from my house. That was about it and to no other political gatherings," he said. Qarase is contesting the Lau Fijian Communal seat in this years General Elections.

Fiji Sun Wednesday 12th April, 2006

Transparent as mud

We all hear the words transparency and accountability over and over again in the coming weeks. In many cases, the speakers will have little or no notion of their true meaning, while many of those who do understand them have not the slightest intention of implementing them.

But they sound good at election time. There is not one candidate who will not pledge absolute transparency, just as there is a similar number who will dit. Politicians dislike scrutiny. They don't, for example, like you to know that the average backbench MP can earn up to $80,000 per annum in real terms, taking into account the tax-free nature of some of their income and allowances.

They don't publicize the fact that, while they rail against the need to fork out COLA payments to civil servants each year, they're happy to pocket the same pay increases themselves.

They steadfastly refuse to end the scam under which they skim millions in public funds each year in illegal travel expenses - although an investigation by the Auditor-General holds out some hope of relief for the long-suffering taxpayer.But it's no wonder they're queuing for tickets.They will all tell you their rights under the Constitution (yes, the same constitution that has betrayed the Fijian people etc), but few, if any, will tell you of their constitutional duty regarding transparency.

But the fact is that the 1997 Constitution mandates that the Government must pass a Freedom of Information Act. The fact also is that the SDL-led Government has for five years totally ignored that requirement and shows not a sign of changing its attitude if re-elected.

What a Freedom of Information Act would do would be to radically alter the Government's and the civil service's attitude to secrecy. Instead of all information being confidential unless released by a minister, all information would be public unless censored by a minister.

In this way, the public - not only the media - could find out what the government of the day is enacting in its name, how it proposes to spend its money and what files it maintains on individuals, groups and projects. Imagine, the public would be able to find out the true cost of overseas travel by ministers and their advisers. We could know how much of our money has been splurged on vote-buying; we could know the exact cost of all the farm and fishing equipment now being dispatched around the nation as aid; we could even know how many vehicles the PWD has acquired from successfultendersject tenderers and what was their fate when the projects were completed.

To its eternal credit, the Peoples Coalition Government did introduce a Freedom of Information Bill, which, while flawed, was at least a point of departure for discussion. But it, too, was 2000. Solty of 2000. So when your candidate tells you about his or her absolute commitment to transparency, it might be instructive to inquire about their absolute comittment

Most won't have heard of such a concept and many of those that have will start ducking and weaving as only politicians can.

Fiji Sun Editorial demands legislation of Freedom of Information. Calls for those laws will undoubtedly inject much need scrutiny into the operations of Fiji Government. Transparency really is the product of Politician's lip service and is the main reason why Fiji Public Service hasunbridleded with unbridalled corruption.

The provaheadof Ra, is way ahend of the rest of Fiji in terms of rural development, by using modern technology. The province is the first among equals, to launch a website. Another interesting program is their initiative to record cultural activities and traditions of both Fijian and Indian races.

It is pleasing to note this "I Can" attitude which has not been contaminbureaucracye normal bureacracy. Especially so in the decision to capture tradition, for archival purposes which still has escaped the attention of Fijian Affairs Board; who are more concerned about chiefdoms and aristocracy.

A tragedy of the commons which is reflected in the erosion of Fiji language in children raised in peri-urban corridors. Roughly 60% of Fijian household fit their category.

University of South Pacific incursion into the call-centre business model, sums the level of educationion in the educaton industry. This is perhaps a move to counter University of Fiji's plans for another Law school.

Here's a Provocative Letter to Fiji Times Editor.

Fighting poverty

I AM a US national. I love Fiji and I own a property in the North Islands. Every time I return to my property in Fiji I drive from the airport past village after village where poverty is obvious.
I spend my time looking out at the ocean thinking of all the small businesses I could bring or start in Fiji to employ people from these villages. Again and again, I come up against the same wall.

Current Fijian laws tell me I must have a Fijian investor to invest 30, 40, 50 per cent into a business with me. After all I am not Fijian and I am not going to invest millions of dollars into a factory. I don't want to run a resort. I look around. The poor in the villages have no money or even tools to invest. All they have is the desire to work. I cannot start a business with them.

I look around some more. The only Fijian investor possibilities for me are people who are already part of a wealthy, small, elite group of people, whom I would not want to be in business with, nor they with me.
And so I try to make my heavy heart think of other things as I drive past the poverty in the villages when on my way back to the airport to fly back to the US.
At the airport I read in the paper that investments in Fiji are way down, and that there will be no recovery for the people before 2008.
The pundits say thousands of people will lose jobs. I shake my head a wonder that the lawmakers of the country cannot see how they have helped create this situation. Did you know that the United States economy is fueled mostly by small businesses owned by individuals?

It's the small businesses that pay taxes. They do not receive corporate welfare. At the airport I pick up my Fijian mobile phone to call home and let them know I am flying out on time. I hold the phone in my hand and wonder how any government that cares about its people allows these obscene phone rates.
I wonder how Fiji expects these global corporations they are trying to entice to come to Fiji and expect them to do business and stay connected to the world of global enterprise when the phone service and internet rate fees are obscene, compared to around the globe.

I think about all of these things as I wait for my plane and wonder if
the people making the laws in Fiji could be forced to live in a village with no electricity, bad or little water, dirt roads, prohibitive communication costs for just one year and wonder if perhaps this might make them think about all of the people they are voted in to serve.

J Smith

USA