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Me tekivu mada mai Jerusalemi. Ro Kepa's call for all Fijians to PRAY for national stability rings hollow, for national stability should begin from her OWN province and the confederacy Burebasaga, where instability is RIFE

16/6/2023

In relation to her appeal for Fijians to pray for national stability, perhaps Ro Kepa should be reminded that national stability should first begin from her own home province and chiefly confederacy, Burebasaga, where chiefly instability seems deeply rooted: Me tekivu mada mai Jerusalemi.*

As paramount chief of Burebasaga, she owes her vanua* and the Great Council of Chiefs an explanation for her conspicuous absence from the recent traditional installation of her new Vunivalu of Rewa, Ro Nauludole Verelevu Mataitini, at Lomanikoro, Rewa, the Roko Tui Dreketi’s chiefly seat and home.

The Vunivalu is traditionally her Chief Adviser among other Rewan chiefs, just as Ro Nauludole’s late father Ro Epeli Mataitini was to the late Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Adi Lady Lala Mara.

Is it because Ro Nauludole Mataitini is the Vice President of the Peoples Alliance Party that she decided to be absent from his chiefly installation ?

Is this also why Ro Filipe Tuisawau, PAP’s Minister for Works, is being similarly discriminated against after moving from Sodelpa to PAP?

Is this also the reason behind her sponsoring her chiefly supporters from Rewa, Ro Ilisoni Vuidreketi for appointment as Ambassador to Washington and Paula Navunisaravi as Ambassador to London to ensure that they continue to support her politically? And continue to split her province politically?

*Sodelpa’s Ro Kepa should seriously embark on some soul-searching and reconsider her continuing involvement in Fiji’s politics because her alleged discriminatory treatment of Ro Nauludole Mataitini, her Vunivalu, and Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Minister for Works, is a clear vindication of the growing commoner i-Taukei Fijian demands and calls for chiefs, especially Paramount Chiefs, to stay away from national politics.

CHIEFLY GREED: Despite her VANUA rejecting her at 2022 ELECTION, Ro Kepa sits at the same table with PAP, now accused of stealing VOTES from Sodelpa, demanding when she will jet out to London as Fiji's envoy

15/6/2023

Ro Kepa was accompanied by another SODELPA election loser TANYA WAQANIKA, who had voted to go into Coalition with PAPand NFP.
At last week's SODELPA Management Board Meeting, Waqanika moved a motion to have her appointed to the insolvent party's Human Resources Committee. We wonder if she is in violation of the Political Parties Act, for she is SODELPA's nominee to the ATH Board, a public listed company?
While her subjects, according to the GCC and Coalition government, are living in POVERTY, Ro Kepa, in the signed coalition deal, will get over $400,000 in salary if she jets off to London as High Commissioner.
She will get overseas living allowance pegged to the cost of living in London, subsidized fully furnished housing, linen and utensils and utilities like electricity bills, a nominal rent is charged based on the Fiji salary and deducted at source, chaffeured executive car with special Fiji number plate, all medical and dental costs for the family, a full-time maid which can be sourced from Fiji with transportation costs borne by the Fiji government.
A fixed remuneration allowance is paid to cover costs, business class fares for whole family for all official travel, official entertainment allowance, free education for children at approved schools, and accompanying family includes anyone who is dependent of the official.
However, Fijileaks understands that following uproar in her Vanua, SODELPA might push for the appointment of Ilisoni Vuidreketei (Ro Kepa's loyal herald who was manning the Los Angeles Trade and Tourism Office in the 1990s as Fiji's Ambassador to Washington, and Paula Navunisaravi (another mata ni vanua from Rewa) as High Commissioner to London but when the SODELPA had signed the coalition deal, PAP had offered Ro Kepa the London posting and the PRESIDENCY in 2024.
Welcome to CORRUPT Fiji where rank and greed for power rules the day

PAP VOLUNTEER TO FICAC: The Peoples Alliance allegedly FORGED thousands of signatures in order to beat COVID-19 curfews and had their party registered for ELECTION. Sodelpa principal victim of Identity Theft

14/6/2023

Fijileaks: SAILOSI NATAKU has confirmed to us authenticity of affidavit.
We, therefore, reproduce the affidavit and salute the COURAGE OF ONE MAN to go public with his allegations and, if TRUE, it could be a recipe for the RFMF to remove the wobbly three-legged scooter Coalition

PS in the PM's Office PETER WISE
accused in affidavit

Click below to listen to allegations

14 June 2023

Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) is committed to the Coalition Government. That’s the word from iTaukei Affairs Minister Ifereimi Vasu after a meeting with its coalition partners yesterday to discuss issues raised by SODELPA members on certain aspects of the coalition agreement. “We are committed to the coalition and we will be there for the next three and a half years,” Mr Vasu said.

SKEWED FIGURES: SODELPA's Audited Accounts for 2022 Election to FEO fail to reveal that 23 Candidates owed $33,000 in levy fees. Some of these debtors have been appointed by Coalition to Boards and even FNU

13/6/2023

Semesa Karavaki,
Chair, FNU
$500

Orisi Seruitanoa, Post Fiji
$1,000

Mikaele Leawere, Education
$2,000

Losena Moce Salabula,br/>$950

Fijileaks: In the last election, SODELPA fielded 54 candidates. According to the party, the candidates were expected to pay a levy of $3,000 each.
* 54 x 3000 = $162,000
An inspection of Sodelpa's accounts to the Fiji Elections Office reveal only $129,000 as income in 2022.
The balance of $33,000 owed by the candidates is not in the financial report submitted to the FEO on 26 April 2022.
The 23 debtors owing $33,000 should have been included in the financial accounts prepared and submitted by I. Naiveli & Co.
Who in the FEO and FIA vetted the submitted accounts?
Did Sodelpa withhold from Naiveli the debtors list?
Where are the candidate debtors in the current assets in the balance sheet?
A total of 23 candidates still owed Sodelpa $33,000
The FEO, I. Naiveli & Co and SODELPA must be reminded that undisclosed debt or omission to give the true and right reflection of party accounts is misrepresentation and fraud.

FUELLING ANGER AT THE CAMP: RFMF suspects Coalition government is deliberately allowing fuel supplies at the barracks to run dangerously low to weaken power of military to exercise its Constitutional Mandate

11/6/2023

"It shall be the overall responsiblity of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to ensure at all times the security, defence, and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians."

"The military must be able to “pay its way” when [Rabuka's Coalition] Government funds are scarce...The military, as with all arms of Government, needs to see its future activities as part of a more efficient and effective and fiscally responsible government delivering outcomes consistent with an agreed national vision and development plans built on that national vision."
RICHARD Naidu's Fiscal Review Commission Report, May 2023.

*The FRC doesn't mention the RFMF's constitutional role as mandated in the 2013 Constitution of Fiji

The role of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Great Council of Chiefs has been questioned at the Great Council of Chiefs Review consultation held at Nausori Village.

Ratu Jone Rasari of Verata Ucunivanua sought clarifications on Section 131 (2) of the 2013 Constitution, which states the overall responsibility of the RFMF is to ensure the security, defence, and well-being of Fiji and Fijians at all times.

In response, lawyer and Review Committee member Graham Leung says Section 131 of the constitution states that the military shall be responsible for the security and well-being of all the people of Fiji.

“That provision in the constitution is controversial, but I think there has been a misunderstanding of what that provision means. The army is subject to civilian authority, and when you look at the constitution as a whole, this country is governed by a government that has been established under the constitution.”

Leung further clarifies that in a Western surveillance democracy like Fiji, the elected government has executive powers, and all other institutions are subordinates and must listen to the government.

“So while there is some suggestion that Section 131 of the constitution gives the military certain powers with respect to national security and defence, that must be seen in the overall context of a democratic framework for governance.”

Fijileaks: We may recall that the former Fiji Law Society president Graham Leung was the Judge Advocate of the court martial panel that had tried the 20 soldiers convicted of mutiny in relation to the Speight coup of 2000.
The Suva lawyer had been commissioned as an Army officer, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Before Leung’s appointment a row had broken out between
the then army Commander Frank Bainimarama and the Minister for Defence Josefa Vosanibola over the payment fees of $130,000 to Leung, with Bainimarama arguing that the payment to Leung was being made from the Army budget (still to be audited) and that the Ministry of Home Affairs had no say in the payment.
*Hundreds of top-secret RFMF files were leaked to our founding Editor-in-Chief shortly before and after the 2006 Coup

"Reviewing the current political landscape, I believe Mr Sitiveni Rabuka is the leader who will best be able to take Fiji forward and bring the changes that Fiji needs at this time."
Graham Leung before the 2022 general election

PACIFIC POLYTECHNIC RECRUITS failed NFP candidate SATYA NAND Shandil as Deputy Director, with Ganesh Chand NOT having advertised job; PP staff not paid for 8 WEEKS, Sanatan wants PP to vacate Premises

10/6/2023

RESIGN: We repeat that BIMAN PRASAD must resign and Prasad, his wife Rajni, Ganesh Chand, Satya Nand Shandil, Pal Ahluwalia (re questions regarding the two-day international girmit conference at USP) and PP Director Peni Taoi be questioned by Fiji Police and FICAC.
We have been reliably informed by Coalition government insiders that in April 2023, Cabinet had been persuaded to allocate $2.6million to a private entity, the Pacific Polytechnic, the brainchild of the former controversial FNU VC GANESH CHAND, who allegedly loaned $100,000 to the setting up of the PP, and also obtained $50,000 from TAIWAN.
Scores of leaked emails, documents, contracts, exchanges between lawyers for PP and Sanatan Dharm, reveal that Coalition's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister BIMAN PRASAD was aware of the dispute with Sangam authorities who want to reclaim their properties occupied by PP that owes it $160,000 in rent arrears.
As we pointed out, FIAS and Global Girmit Institute (Prasad, Rajni and Ganesh Chand) have close links with the Pacific Polytechnic Ltd.
We will reveal documents where Chand has surrendered FIAS and its business to the Pacific Polytechnic Ltd.

Prasad's old link with FIAS

"The cabinet has approved a joint proposal from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance to explore various options to support Pacific Polytech as Fiji is facing constraints in terms of availability of technical skills for its industry and public sectors.
While making an announcement on the decision following yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says unfortunately, the number of TVET graduates have declined consistently in Fiji during the last 5 to 6 years.
He says as such, there is a need to strengthen the technical, vocational education and training sector.
Rabuka says submissions from Pacific Polytech show that it has acquired four campuses in Tavua, Lautoka, Suva and Nausori and it intends to establish campuses around the country."
FijiVillage News, 29 March 2023

From Fijileaks Archive, 8 August 2020

From Fijileaks Archives, November 2015
In the e-mail below, Biman Prasad lists that he is Director, Fiji Institute of Applied Studies (FIAS).
*Are we to believe that his long-standing side-kick Ganesh Chand, a co-trustee with Rajni on re-registered GGI, didn't consult a former FIAS Director when he signed away FIAS activities to PP on 15 February 2023, the day Prasad announced $500,000 for the Girmit Day celebrations?

Outgoing president Dewan Maharaj (left) is led by his successor Sarju Prasad at the Sanatan celebrations at Wainibokasi, Nausori

"I attended the Easter weekend convention of the Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji since I wanted to support the Dreketi soccer team which was formed by the younger players living in Suva. I was impressed with the energy of the players and their enthusiasm towards community participation. While attending the soccer tournament, I had the opportunity to sit through the opening ceremony of the convention at the Shreedhar Maharaj College, in Nausori. A school named after a great Sanatani, moral and ethical community and religious leader and a businessman, the late Mr. Shreedhar Maharaj. The opening ceremony had a total of approximately 300 people who had congregated in the leaking and soggy shed; most of those who attended were women who had travelled from different districts to attend the convention. In fact, more people are usually present during individual Ramayan mandali gatherings around the country and in temples than the numbers that were present at the annual convention.

The presidential speech by Mr. Dewan Chand Maharaj was more like a talk given by some local community leader to primary school students on unity, HIV and how Sanatani’s should always promote unity and how women should behave in society. He even, wrongly stated that the President of Fiji was Ratu Epeli Ganilau. The Chief Guest Indian High Commissioner brought some respect back to the occasion by his very clear, concise and excellent speech about the role of Sanatani’s in Fiji and how they could contribute to building a multiracial Fiji. I believe the poor planning failed to attract a decent crowd to the convention, a direct reflection of very poor and pathetic leadership.

In fact the whole opening ceremony was a disgrace. I could not stop myself from reminiscing, the excellent leadership provided by people like Honourable Harish Sharma, Pt. Salik Ram Sharma and Mr. Surendra Kumar. Thousands of enthusiastic Sanatani’s used to attend the annual convention in the past.

The current leadership of the Sabha has put the whole organization to disrepute. One has to only compare ethical and professional leadership standards shown by other religious and cultural organizations in Fiji with what the Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha is able to put up. It then does not take long to understand why so many Sanatani’s have been put off by the current leadership. Many are disillusioned with the organization and have shied away from participating in its activities. What you hear from the ramblings of Mr. Vijendra Prakash and Mr. Dewan Maharaj is lectures to the ordinary members on how they should behave and not question them.

In addition, no one questions their individual loyalty and support to the Bainimarama government. However, Mr. Vijendra Prakash and Mr. Dewan Maharaj have given statements and dragged the Sabha into the political arena by openly declaring that the Sabha supports the government’s 2013 draft constitution. This is nothing short of misrepresenting the views of the ordinary members. Nothing was discussed about the draft Constitution at the convention yet Mr. Vijendra Prakash and Mr. Dewan Maharaj have gone openly to the media declaring the Sabah’s support for the draft constitution.

In fact they have gone against the government’s often stated position that religious organizations should remain apolitical.

The future of the Sanatan Dharam Prithinidhi Sabha looks grim. The organization led by Mr. Dewan Maharaj and his Secretary, Mr. Vijendra Prakash have managed to implement a new Constitution which has several undemocratic provisions. The election held on Sunday to elect the office bearers other than the President cannot be said to be fair and transparent. The General Secretary, Mr. Vijendra Prakash, who was contesting the election, was involved in the so called sorting/counting out of the votes.

Where are the moral and ethical standards of these officials who preach publicly about moral and ethical standards?

To add insult to injury to all the Sanatani’s in Fiji, a man who is currently before the court for presenting false transfer documents to transfer a temple property belonging to Shree Sanatan Dharam Nasea Ramayan Mandali to the Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, has been elected National President.

If he was a person with principles, he should have stood aside and let one of the senior Vice Presidents like Mr. Ashok Balgovind to act as President until his court case is resolved.

The trustees of the organization must act now and ask all the national officials to stand aside until an independent investigation is carried out on all the activities of the Sabha, its elections, its finances, processes and procedures. If the investigation shows irregularities in any aspect of the organization, especially in the process of adopting the new Constitution of the Sabha, the finances and the conduct of the elections, the office bearers should all be asked to resign and a fresh election be called. In fact they should hand over the leadership to the Trustees, after the failed convention. This would have saved the Sabha from further disunity and fragmentation.

The current leadership has presided over a most disunited organization since its inception. If the largest Hindu organisation in Fiji begins to put its leadership into the hands of a person who is currently before the court, and allows it to be run by unconstitutional, unethical and unclear means, it is unlikely to serve its members effectively."

Fijileaks Editor: The view expressed in this article does not reflect in anyway the view of Professor Prasad's employer, the University of the South Pacific.

A RECIPE FOR TWO HALVES: FRC Report favours the rich, penalises the poor. Richard Naidu's Fiscal Review Committee (FRC) Report is Finance Minister BIMAN Prasad’s gift to the rich while penalising poor, says FLP

9/6/2023

"Labour categorically rejects the FRC recommendation for a flat rate of 14% VAT across the board which removes the current VAT exemption from basic food items, medicines, baby food and 21 other household items. It will be a severe blow to the poor – particularly families on low incomes who constitute almost 70% of the population. It will drive more people into the poverty net. Most of the recommendations in the Fiscal Review Committee report favour the rich. Its impact will be felt across all sections of the economy, fuelling inflation and cost of living increases."
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry

Fijileaks: Like the old East Germany, Naidu's FRC Report will split Fijians into two halves - between the rich and the poor - just like the old Trabant, Communist East Germany's answer to the Volkswagen, that Naidu was enjoying on 3 June 2023, after signing off his FRC Report on 31 May.

Or did he leave for Europe/Eastern Europe before 31st May, for he was already posting a tongue-in-cheek response on his Facebook from Estonian capital Tallinn on 28 May 2023.

When did the self-proclaimed CONVICTED LAWYER fly out of Fiji to experience "must -do event in Berlin, Germany - the Trabi Tour"?
Who can envy the wealthy corporate lawyer but go ask Fiji's POOR?

DEPARTURE TAX: "Those who travel (whether visitors or Fiji citizens) generally have the disposable income to do so. So there are good arguments, having regard to the principles of equity and sustainable revenue, to increase Departure Tax. The question is when and by how much. 4.128 We believe that the Departure Tax can return to its $200 rate over time. At this point the Committee is suggesting progressive increases to $150 and ultimately $200 by 1 April 2025." Naidu's FRC Report, 31 May 2023

"The Committee, made up of the 14 people named below, convened for the first time on 7 March 2023 and concluded its work on 18 May 2023, when the Report was handed in draft to the Minister of Finance for verification and feedback. The feedback received from the Ministry improved its accuracy and focus but the Ministry did not seek at any stage to influence the conclusions of the Committee."

FRC Report favours the rich, penalises the poor

The Fiscal Review Committee (FRC) Report is Finance Minister Biman Prasad’s gift to the rich while penalising the poor, says Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.

Biman will, of course, say that it’s not me, it’s the FRC. But it was he who commissioned the FRC and appointed its members – its chair, a proposed NFP candidate for the 2022 general elections who subsequently withdrew his candidature.

The National Economic Summit and the FRC were a prelude to his upcoming Budget – a move to pre-empt its direction, we believe.

Labour categorically rejects the FRC recommendation for a flat rate of 14% VAT across the board which removes the current VAT exemption from basic food items, medicines, baby food and 21 other household items.

“It will be a severe blow to the poor – particularly families on low incomes who constitute almost 70% of the population. It will drive more people into the poverty net,” warns Mr Chaudhry. ‘

“Most of the recommendations in the Fiscal Review Committee report favour the rich,” Mr Chaudhry added.

Its impact will be felt across all sections of the economy, fuelling inflation and cost of living increases.

It’s bad for businesses and the economy as a whole. It will add substantial costs to businesses, eroding their competitiveness and returns in both the local and export markets.

Mr Chaudhry said the $500m in revenue the Committee says the increase will generate is debatable, viewed against the additional government expenditure that it will entail. It is also highly likely that most of it will be spent in the unproductive sectors of the economy.

The recommendation is counter-productive as sharp increases in living costs will lead to renewed demands for salary and wage increases creating an inflationary spiral.

The government itself will become its victim having to incur millions in settling pending pay increase claims of public sector unions. The private sector too will be hit hard by its cascading effects.

The FRC has not considered removing the anomalies in taxation that favour the wealthy- like taxing dividend income or increasing the personal tax rates applicable to those earning over $50k or hiking the capital gains tax.
“ Overall, the recommendations of the report have political implications the Coalition must seriously consider.

“It would not be in their best interests to jettison their campaign promises to bring down the cost of living, by adopting a short-sighted Report likely to create more problems than it will solve,” Mr Chaudhry said.

The FRC Committee had 14 members:
•(Chair) Richard Naidu– Commercial and taxation lawyer and a partner of the law firm of Munro Leys
•(Deputy Chair) Lisa Apted – partner of KPMG Fiji, chartered accountant and tax professional (sister of Jon Apted who is partner, Munro Leys)
•Reaaz Ali – company Director and entrepreneur from Nadi
•Vani Catanisiga – Co-ordinator of the Fiji Council of Social Services
•Edwin Chand – a company director and businessman from Labasa
•Neelesh Gounder – Economist and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Accounting, Finance and Economics at The University of the South Pacific
•Matelita Katamotu – a business adviser and eco-tourism entrepreneur in Namosi
•Fantasha Lockington – Executive Director of Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association
•Kirti Patel – Librarian and community activist from Lautoka
•Pradeep Patel – Partner of BDO Fiji, a chartered accountant and tax professional
•Naibuka Saune – Chief Executive of Merchant Finance Limited
•Viliame Takayawa – A company Director and member of the SODELPA Management Board
•Barry Whiteside – A company Director and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji
•Mereia Volavola – A business consultant and former chief executive of the Capital Markets Development Authority.
*Most were welcome appointments but we also have NFP lackey and USP economist Goundar, the librarian and failed NFP candidate Kirti Patel (141 Votes), Labasa businessman Edwin Chand, son of failed NFP candidate Pramod Chand.
Welcome to Prasad's new Fiji, Oops, Khaiyum's 'Old Crony Fiji'

Fijileaks: Our photos imposed on the Report reflects the dangers of
Fiji's Haves and the Have-Nots

Fiji Roads Authority:
"The [FRC] Committee was surprised to hear from the Fiji Roads Authority, which is budgeted to receive upwards of $400 million a year for capital and maintenance work on major roads, that FRA had no strategic plan; projects were selected by senior management and spending allocated on the basis of six-monthly grants allocated to it by the Ministry of Finance (in common with organisations such as WAF and the LTA). It agreed that this made long-term planning difficult."
The FRC Report, 31 May 2023

An investigation will be carried out in the cash flow issues and budget overspending.

The statement says FRA is currently facing a cash flow issue with its current Capital Expenditure (2022/23) of $350 million spent by December 2022.

In addition, and as at 30th April, 2023, the FRA still owes $38 million to 13 Contractors which is forecast to reach $55 million by June 30th. The Board has noted that there is no Strategic Plan in place, as the continued deterioration of our road network daily indicates a lack of planning, compounded by mismanagement by the Minister of Economy in the FijiFirst Government.

The Board has taken swift action to address this serious matter and is in full consultation with the Ministry of Finance. The Board has also consulted with FRA contractors. Ro Filipe says he has also initiated discussions with development partners in terms of supporting the infrastructure needs, who have responded positively. Ro Filipe further states a few major projects have been delayed resulting in contractors seeking variation payments to the contracted sum.

In this regard, he adds the Board will carry out an audit to justify substantial cost increases.

Ro Filipe further states a Whistle Blower report has been received by the Board alleging malpractices within the organization.

He has ordered a full investigation which will be carried out by the FRA Board.

Ro Filipe says regretfully, Public Works as a sector and Ministry has been seriously decimated in terms of intellectual capacity and assets by the FijiFirst Government for the last 16 years.

He adds the FijiFirst Government must explain where all Public Works Department assets went to.

Ro Filipe says there are other audit issues and reports, of which he will advise the people as they progress in their reform and re-set programme.

Click here to read Full Report by Naidu's FRC

GET LOST FROM OUR LAUTOKA, NABUA PREMISES. Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha Fiji informs Prime Minister Rabuka that it has KICKED out the Pacific Polytech for failing to pay RENT ARREARS of $160,000

8/6/2023

*From huge cache of e-mails and documents leaked to us, it is clear that Finance Minister Biman Prasad's Fiji Institute of Applied Studies (FIAS) and his wife RAJNI CHAND and GANESH CHAND'S Global Girmit Institute are behind the Pacific Polytech. We again call on Fiji Police and FICAC to take into custody Prasad, his wife, and Chand for questioning, especially when the Coalition government has allocated $2.6million to PACIFIC POLYTECH LIMITED

Wed 27, April 2022, 8.16pm
"Attached is the draft Nabua agreement...
To avoid unnecessary delays, we have kept it exactly as the same as Lautoka one, except for the particulars on rent.

I want to email to this me by 8,30am tmrw... Pls read and advice."

Ganesh

3 June 2023

Subject: Termination of Pacific Polytechnic Agreement with Sanatan Fiji for Lautoka and Nabua Campuses

Dear Hon. Prime Minister,

Hope this email find you well. This email is in regard to the determination of the rental contract between Pacific Polytechnic (PPL) and Sanatan Fiji for Lautoka and Nabua Campuses.

A 90-days termination notice was given to PPL on 15th February 2023. Sanatan Fiji has given this campuses to PPL on rental for the operation of technical college. PPL was supposed to vacate the premises before 15th May 2023, however they failed to. Reminders were sent to PPL for vacant possession and payment of rental arrears during this 90 day period (letter attached to this email). A notification letter was also given to Fiji Higher Education Commission (letter attached).

16th /17th May Sanatan Fiji had requested PPL to give vacant possession of properties however, PPL refused to do so. Sanatan Fiji tried to negotiate with PPL but there was no positive response.

Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha Fiji is faith based organization, we have tried other methods to resolve these issue, but were unsuccessful.

We are left with the last resort to continue with the legal action against PPL/filing of court case.

PPL owes Sanatan Fiji a total of $16000.00 (FJD) for rental arrears. We wish to inform you that Sanatan Fiji is not liable for any business being conducted on our Nabua and Lautoka premises.

This is because a fair 90 day notice was given to PPL to sort out their business. We are humbly requesting you to assist us in the dilemma.

Hope our request is accepted.

Your faithfully
National President
Dhirendra Nand
Sanatan Fiji

Fijileaks: More to follow, Om Shanti, Shanti to suffering taxpayers

A NEW BEGGAR in Town, with the same OLD Begging Bowl to Australia. In 2021, Prasad criticized Budget support from Australian government to Fiji. Now, he pushes out begging bowl and accepts $81m Budget support

7/6/2023

"Fiji is drowning in debt. By the middle of next year, when it is expected to reach $9 billion, every Fiji citizen will be carrying $10,000 of it. This is why we have to beg Australia and New Zealand for cash. We no longer have the ability to borrow money sustainably...Unlike Parliament, where he [Aiyaz Khaiyum] seems to be allowed to do anything he wants, this is the real world – the world where boasting does not pay the bills. It was a relief at least to hear him say “thank you”."

Early this week, Australia wrote the Fiji Government a cheque for another $130 million.

That brings to more than $300 million in cash that Australia and New Zealand have had to inject into Fiji this year to keep its Government afloat. Australian government Minister Zed Seselja said at the handover ceremony that Australia’s cash was “helping address Fiji’s immediate fiscal pressures, supporting debt sustainability, and bolstering vital services and social protection plans of Fiji’s most vulnerable people”.

Listening to him intently was Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, with a little less of his usual Parliamentary swagger.

Unlike Parliament, where he seems to be allowed to do anything he wants, this is the real world – the world where boasting does not pay the bills. It was a relief at least to hear him say “thank you”.

Because we owe an immense debt of gratitude to Australia and New Zealand. Without their cheque books we would have unpaid public servants, desperate welfare recipients and completely collapsed government services. Of course the Economy Minister could not quite put the boasting aside.

Australia and New Zealand, he said, had faith and trust in the FijiFirst government’s ability to “manage the State’s finances prudently and in an accountable and transparent manner”.

The reality of the matter, as the minister likes to say, is that no one reading the latest Auditor-General’s reports could not have any confidence in the accountability and transparency of the Fiji Government’s finances.

The politicians and diplomats of Australia and New Zealand have learned to grit their teeth and keep their eyes looking firmly forward when they hear statements like this. They have to keep their vital interests in mind.

Their vital interests are to ensure that Fiji does not fall further into the clutches of China’s aggressive diplomacy. And they do not want a humanitarian crisis on their back doors. But if, as we expect, we are in government next year, we will have to deal with a major mess in Government finances. We are quite fearful of what we will find. And there is a direct link between the state of Fiji’s democracy and the state of its government finances.

A government that is not democratic and accountable to the people becomes lazy, inefficient and corrupt.

It spends money the way it likes and not the way it should. And as it becomes more insecure about its grip on power, it spends for politics, not for people.

That is what is happening to Fiji.

How has Fiji come to this?

Fiji is drowning in debt. By the middle of next year, when it is expected to reach $9 billion, every Fiji citizen will be carrying $10,000 of it. This is why we have to beg Australia and New Zealand for cash. We no longer have the ability to borrow money sustainably.

The Government is broke. Why? Because our Government is not interested in governance. It is only interested in spending money to win elections and keep itself in power. I used to say that the one thing the Fiji- First government could do well was spend money.

I have changed my mind. I don’t think they can even do that well. For all of its talk about transparency and accountability, the Government does not wish to be either transparent or accountable. The Government talks big in every budget about how much it will spend – hundreds of millions on roads, on health, on education.
I have never understood why it talks like this. The important thing is not how much money you spend. It is how you spend it.

How is it that after spending hundreds of millions on roads they are still such a mess? How is that after spending hundreds of millions on education our whole education system is a disaster? And let’s not even talk about the health system where the Government has just given up. Certain information cannot be hidden from the people.

This includes how much the Government budgets to spend and how much it has to borrow. The Government has to tell Parliament about that. But what we do not know about is how much money is lost through wastage, mismanagement and even corruption. We believe that a hard re-look at the Government’s finances could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

The Auditor-General does his best. But he has limited resources. He cannot check on everything. And his office is constantly pressured and bullied by the Government. A few years ago he was forced to publicly apologise for a so-called “mistake” about Government companies that made the Economy Minister look bad.

Certainly from what I could see, the Auditor- General had not made a mistake.

But an important lesson was learned about how to be the Auditor-General under the Fiji First Government – the one mistake you must never make is to upset the Economy Minister!

We all know what has happened to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament. The rules, ever since independence, have been that an Opposition MP is its chair. That is because the chair sets the agenda and determines who speaks and asks questions.

At first, under the 2013 Constitution, the Fiji First Government followed those rules. I was the original chair of the PAC in 2014 when Parliament began again. But after I started asking too many questions, the Government changed Parliament’s rules. It decided that a Government MP should be the chair instead. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said this had to be done because I was being “political”.

This is another favourite line of his. Anything the Government does is “government”. But anything the Opposition does is “political”.

I see from last week’s Attorney-General’s conference that even some of his lawyer friends have picked up the habit!

Less cash, same culture

So for most of us – even the Members of Parliament, to whom the Government is supposed to be accountable – Government finances are a mystery.

We do not know – and we will not know, until we get into Government – the sort of mess we are going to have to clean up. But what is clearly in sight is the culture of how this Government spends money. It spends it on itself, for the benefit of its members and to make itself look good.

Two days ago the director of one of Fiji’s most respected non-governmental organisations, FRIEND, spoke up again about how families in dire poverty are – again – going without food. We all know how FRIEND and other organisations in the Alliance for COVID-19 Humanitarian Response stepped in to help the families devastated by the initial Covid outbreak. The Government refused to work with them, listen to their views or respect the networks of knowledge they had built up.

They instead embarked on their usual disastrous and inefficient cash and food handouts. As usual, they spent a lot of money and put a lot of pictures on Facebook – but stories were rife about how food went to the wrong places and how many people in need missed out.

Now that tourism is starting up again, the Government’s eyes are focused only on that. They have forgotten that in the past two years thousands of people have been left behind and their jobs and livelihoods have not sprung back. And, of course, as soon as the borders opened, the Prime Minister took off to COP26.

Now he is in Dubai. The Government has never opened up about how its ministers collect daily subsistence allowances of thousands of dollars, even while they say that $360 is enough to last a COVID-affected Fiji citizen for three months. This is a Government that pays itself lavish salaries and allowances, travels around in motorcades and pours money into QORVIS-funded propaganda.

Their shameless use of the Government Facebook page to boost their failing political fortunes is only one more example of this.

The new reality of near-bankruptcy has not changed the Government’s attitude. For this Government it is still all about them – and the priority is not to do good, but to look good. This is the culture the next government will have to change. It must fi rst focus on the small but important things that drive the culture of transparency and accountability.

The NFP will:
i) slash ministers’ salaries and allowances
(II) and bring back a Parliamentary Emoluments Committee, made up of outsiders, to set these to a fair and realistic level.
(III) We will cut out the motorcades,
(IV) the money spent on propaganda and photo opportunities
(V) and the Government resources consumed on image-making.

We have to get back to the main focus – serving the people. In the end, it does not matter how hard the public servants work to save money or to raise it.

If the politicians will not focus on what is important, nothing will change.

 PROF BIMAN PRASAD is leader of the National Federation Party. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of The Fiji Times

FLP to BIMAN PRASAD: 'Are you trying to cover up for your WIFE and Ganesh Chand, trustees of GGI, when you say that non-profit NGOs that have been de-registered, will be given a second life-line to Re-Register?'

7/6/2023

Play by the rules, Biman

It is absurd of Finance Minister Biman Prasad to say that ‘non-profit organisations’ (NGOs) that have been de-registered will be given a chance to re-register”.

“For one there is no provision in the existing legislation for de-registered entities to re-register, said Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.

“Secondly, it is only proper that organisations that persistently fail to submit their annual reports and audited accounts be struck off after due notice.

“It is in the public interest that such entities not be allowed to operate by simply seeking re-registration,” Mr Chaudhry said.

Recently there was considerable controversy in the case of the re-registration of the Global Girmit Institute (GGI) which was de-registered in February 2022 for its persistent failure to submit annual reports and audited accounts for 5 years.

Surprisingly, its registration was reinstated within a day of application in February this year, almost at the very time it was handed $200,000 of Girmit Celebration funds to host an international conference.

The Minister’s wife, and a close political associate of his are the key officials of this moribund GGI.

Fiji Times' Anish Chand on behalf of HIS MASTER'S VOICE.
He should have confronted Prasad and the wife over GGI scam

Fiji Labour Party has challenged the manner in which the re-registration was handled.
It has called on the Attorney-General to investigate the matter.

One wonders whether Minister Prasad’s motive in suggesting re-registration of de-registered NGOs is to seek the regularisation of GGI’s re-registration.

There is also the case of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies of which Biman Prasad was a director and Ganesh Chand chairman of Trustees which was also de-registered in March 2022 presumably for failure to submit audited accounts.

Minister Prasad’s statement was made when talking to NGOs in Lautoka during his budget consultation trip last week. He said government can use NGOs to deliver services to the people more effectively.

But we hope that the Minister is not going to re-register irresponsible de-registered entities that had failed over the years to be held accountable and trust them with public funds on the pretext of using their services (ie the GGI case) .

It is critical that government funds are deployed to organisations with proven accountability.

By virtue of his portfolio, the onus is on the Finance Minister to ensure accountability and transparency from all listed public entities including charitable and non-profit organisations. His actions must be above reproach.

BACK from OBLIVION as NFP MP and COALITION CABINET MINISTER

From Fijileaks Archive, 1 January 2015, PRASAD: 'Are you same, Agni?'

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Fijileaks: SAILOSI NATAKU has confirmed to us authenticity of affidavit.We, therefore, reproduce the affidavit and salute the COURAGE OF ONE MAN to go public with his allegations and, if TRUE, it could be a recipe for the RFMF to remove the wobbly three-legged scooter Coalition