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POLITICAL SUGAR-COATING APPOINTMENTS: NFP condemns the politicization of Sugar Cane Growers Trust Fund Board; FFP government accused of controlling appointments via Bainimarama as Sugar Minister

19/1/2016

12 Comments

 
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The Sugar Industry in Fiji has been totally politicised by the Fiji First Government. This is unprecedented in the history of the industry since the enactment of the Sugar Industry Act in 1984, which made the industry and its stakeholders independent with no interference from Government.
 
The latest case that is a testimony to this sad reality is the appointment of the Sugar Cane Growers Fund Board (SCGF). This follows amendment to the Fund Act Cap 207 by the Fiji First Government in Parliament last August.
 
The Board of the Fund, which is 100 percent owned by the cane growers of Fiji, has only 20% representation on the Board. The Chief Executive of the Sugar Cane Growers Council is the sole growers’ representative on the five member Board. This is 20% representation on the Board of the Fund in which growers have 100% stake.
 
The Board Chairman is the Acting Permanent Secretary for Sugar with other members being the Chairman of Fiji Sugar Corporation, the Sugar Industrial Commissioner from the Sugar Industry Tribunal and the Tribunal Accountant. The Prime Minister has made all appointments including that of Board Chairman in his capacity as Minister for Sugar.
 
Previously there used to be a four member Board with the Sugar Commission Chairman as Board Chairman, an appointee of the Sugar Minister, the CEO of the SCGC and his nominee as another member.
 
This is yet another example of absolute politicisation with control of the Board vested in the Prime Minister. He has re-ignited painful memories of the dictatorial attitude of the CSR (Colonial Sugar Refining Company Ltd) when the CSR imposed their authoritarian decisions on growers.
 
We now have the Executive Chairman of the FSC who makes decisions for growers on marketing of sugar, who is also Chairman of South Pacific Fertilizers which is also 100 percent owned by growers through the Growers Fund (90%) and Growers Council (10%), and now is a member of the Fund Board administering the use of funds totally owned by growers.
 
This is precisely why the NFP opposed changes to the Growers Fund Act as well as the Sugar Industry Act to change the composition of the Growers Council Board because instead of democratizing these institutions, the changes would thoroughly politicise them.
 
This is a clear case of nepotism and cronyism with transparency and accountability becoming meaningless. The Prime Minister will appoint even the Growers Council Board and its Chairman.
 
True democracy, which is being trumpeted by the Fiji First Government, has been given a new meaning as far as the sugar industry and cane growers as its largest stakeholders are concerned.
 
Fiji First Government is making growers subservient and powerless as well as denying them the fundamental right to make decisions even in institutions totally owned by them, with authority and control of their funds, assets and livelihood placed in political appointees made by a single person.
 
Biman Prasad
Leader

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12 Comments
Injustice
19/1/2016 11:53:54 am

The FFP style is to appointment their cronies and masi polo kind people to key positions so that they can control the system and processes as they desire and want. NFP is not able to understand this while ordinary citizens have already got it at the back of their mind and it is not a rocket science. Just have a stocktake of this: elections office mohd saneem, FSC abdul khan, pine industry Faiz khan, Financial intelligence and anti money laundrying Rahim Burksh, biosecurity xavier khan, Industry and trade shaheen ali eventhough caught having sex in office but PSC couldnt take any action. Nalin patel is another sucker, treasurer Aunty Nur bano and zurin khan, military major Aziz list goes on and on all key people at strategic positions. Effective control of Fiji.

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Paula Raqeukai
19/1/2016 09:56:57 pm

Injustice

Don't worry my friend...the living words of the living God Yashua (Jesus Christ) is our hope....Proverbs 12:28 "Righteousness is the road to life; wickedness is the road to death"....one day Mafatu!...lets continue to tell the truth, pray & fast until that day when it will be ended....God Bless Fiji!

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Chiku
19/1/2016 09:00:34 pm

Injustice you too right. Tell me what has NOT been politicised by the Bainimarama-Khaiyum dictatorship in Fiji?

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Rajend Naidu
19/1/2016 10:10:45 pm

Editor,
Politicisation of Public Institutions
What Dave Oliver writes in his article ' Corruption is Rife ' ( The Daily Telegraph 20/01) has parallels with the Fiji situation and Fijileaks followers will no problem in seeing the correspondence.
Oliver writes " Sledging our political and public leaders is a favourite Australian pastime, but in recent years mistrust of government, political parties, corporate Australia and even sections of the non- government sector has hit an all-time high.
Whether it be allegations of corruption in the Commonwealth Bank or the NSW Liberal Party, which resulted in 10 MPs resigning from the party, or in sports bodies, corruption seems to be everywhere.
( from Fijileaks revelations it seems to have flourished in Fiji ).
The politicisation of public institutions such as the royal commission into trade unions only serves to reinforce this public sentiment. Partly because it highlighted a small number of individuals who have done the wrong thing, but equally because of the way the commission was used by the federal government to pursue its own political agenda...
We are tired of seeing those in power trampling on workers and communities via corrupt business practices. That is why we need a permanent independent national body to investigate allegations of corruption across the board, wherever it hides"
Clearly the same applies to Fiji where the existing so called
" independent " corruption combating body is used by those in power to " pursue it's own political agenda".
The politicisation of the Fiji Sugar Industry is an extension of the trend.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Bitter Sweet
19/1/2016 11:03:48 pm

Sugar Industry's gone. Anyone who visits West can see this, even from the roads one sees neglected farms, crooked tramlines - signs of demise. All started with Rashid Ali, then Galuinadi and continues now. If one wants to know the reason, make a list of all who work there and all who supply goods and services to FSC, and their blood, religious and ethnic links to the CEOs. This organisation is a model of corruption, nepotism, abuse of office, fraud, incompetence - from (Rashid) Ali to (Abdul) Khan.

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Pita
20/1/2016 01:43:57 am

The Sugar Industry is a sunset industry. This is one of the few things that Mahend Chaudhry got right. The biggest problem of the sugar industry has nothing to do with sugar. Its to do with the arrested development of Fiji caused by numerous military inspired coups plus cronyism that brought about the arrested development of our economy that would have absorbed the shift of workers in the sugar economy into other sectors. How can Fiji compete with Brazilian sugar produced with mechanisation on thousands and thousands of square miles of fertile river plains. Its a losing proposition and the young are voting with their feet leaving the industry for jobs in other sectors. That is the realistic future of the sugar industry.

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Bitter Sweet
20/1/2016 02:21:13 am

We responded to a FSC ad for sale of 17 motor vehicles. We went to the yard to inspect the vehicles before we send our tenders. Guess what: they say we can only view the vehicles from outside and not open them or start them or check the engines or open the bonnet. Security say they got the keys but instructions from higher up to not to open vehicles for people other than those who get approval from the bosses. Typical case of corruption. Tenders close 22 Jan. Our trip to Labasa was wasted.

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On-Song
20/1/2016 04:37:25 am

Where once canefields thrived you now see commercial developments from Nadi to Lautoka and onwards to Ba taking over. Another factor is the aging population of those maintaining the cane farms for their children no longer see the values that once were in being there with their parents; university and better opportunities beckon from the main centres, towns ans cities. All in current leadership in Govt. and industry must put in the relevant resources to keep the canefarm children in the farms whilst at the same time help develop them for other careers within the sugar industry and in commercial centres which allows them to operate from home in the farm. It is a matter of putting things into perspective and really seeing the problems for what they are. It is also time to put in place the right people to lead the sugar industry; those with heart, integrity, purpose, poise and honesty...with some brains will help!! Do the right thing by the farmers and their children and you've got yourself a potential thriving industry heading in the right direction.

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NFU Kuch Bolo Ji!
20/1/2016 06:54:21 am

...And what does the heavy-weights of the National Farmers Union (NFU) has to say in the matter, if anything at at...?

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Heavy Weight NFU?
20/1/2016 10:48:01 am

This NFU are quite as they may have shared assets with the family.

Who owns the land in Labasa that was owned by NFU?

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Refugee
25/1/2016 11:45:34 pm

You mean, the land, where Chodri formed Fiji's 2nd Refugee Camp after he had collected MONEY in India in the name of the 1st Refugee Camp at Girmit Center in Lautoka..??

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Bahuki
21/1/2016 04:56:28 am

Injustice is overwhelmingly prevalent here where Fiji-Fudgecake Potato intends to elect members of their own party while constantly ousting others who don't belong.

Typical of them in taking care of their own and completely disregarding members of other political parties that the parties themselves are always keeping the knives out whenever something like this happens.

But it is true on how hard it is to put an actual finger on what has NOT been politicized by Frankie and Ayarse.

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