Mixed response to Fiji budget
Responses to the Fiji budget have been mixed. A summary follows. The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association has welcomed the budget and its move to reduce overheads, calling it “bold and innovative.”
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Fiji Budget wrap
Fiji’s 2020-21 National Budget will see the Government attempt to spend its way out of the COVID-19 induced recession. “Barring drastic intervention, our economy may never fully recover; not this year, not next
Fiji budget preview: expansionary budget anticipated to stimulate spending
Fiji’s Minister for Economy will deliver the government’s 2020-21 budget today, just 4 months after an emergency F$1 billion ‘Covid mini-budget’. It comes as the Reserve Bank of Fiji has projected a contraction
Fiji resilience: Chef Shain
Seeing Shain hold and play with her daughter, and you can tell that 4-year-old Sarah is her world. Her job was another important part of her life at one time, until three months ago when that world came crashing around
Fiji Resilience: Losana
Sitting in the hot sun, Losana does not seem to mind the humidity and the busy carpark beside her as she stacks heaps of wild lemons and cucumbers. What do you do when it rains, we ask her. “Au dau vakaruru ikea
Fiji resilience: Shree Ram the Volunteer Cook
Volunteers like Shree Ram are ensuring 2,000 school children in Nadi are eating well in schools. He is one of about 20 men and women who are volunteering their time to provide vegetarian meals for children who attend
Fiji resilience: Sigatoka’s Masi Lady
From the masi (tapa) making island of Vatulele is Anareta Ketenilagi, pictured here at her stall inside Sigatoka’s main food market. She specialises in masi costumes for brides and bridegrooms. “Before the
Pacific fisheries observers finally home
Solomon Island, Fijian and Papua New Guinean fisheries observers are now home after being repatriated from American Samoa this week. Some of them had been away from home since December last year. The nine Pacific
Maclellan wins Sean Dorney Pacific journalism grant
Islands Business correspondent Nic Maclellan has been awarded the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific journalism for 2020. Established by the Walkley Foundation, the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism aims to
Can sharing the joy of tax increase government revenue in PNG?
Around the world, tax compliance is a serious problem with big consequences. The case is no different in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is an important concern of the current government. In July 2019, Prime Minister James
Presidential leadership for post referendum Bougainville
Bougainville is going through a major political metamorphosis ending one political status and entering into another entity. The 15 years of Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Tenure has ended but continues
Australia appoints its first Indigenous person as Consul-General
Australia first Indigenous Consul-General, Benson Saulo says he’s keen to share Australia’s Indigenous culture and connecting with First Nations businesses and leaders in the US as part of his trade and investment
USP students protests continue across region
Solidarity action for change continues today in a number of University of the South Pacific campuses around the region, as students throw their weight behind the call for “good governance” within the
USP student across the region protest, police on Fiji campus
A “support good governance” protest organised by the University of the South Pacific Student Association today with the theme “wear blue” is now underway in a number of campuses around the region with the
Fired USP manager wants his job back
Sacked University of the South Pacific senior manager Hasmukh Lal is not challenging claims of plagiarism that led to his termination, documents filed with the Fiji High Court reveal. His lawyers, Reddy & Nandan are
Secret report reveals widespread salary and allowance rorts at USP
Senior academics and staff at the University of the South Pacific in Suva are accused in a special audit report of manipulating allowances to pay themselves hundreds of thousands of dollars they were not entitled to, as
Executive Committee suspends Pal, launches investigation
The Executive Committee of the University of the South Pacific’s Council has resolved that an independent investigation into the allegations against Vice Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia be conducted. In a media
Nauru calls for special USP Council meeting
Nauru’s President and incoming chancellor of the University of the South Pacific has called for an urgent meeting of the full USP Council. In his third letter issued to university council members in less than one
Staff back Pal
A fresh protest at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Bay Campus in Suva was quickly stopped by Police Tuesday when protesters were told they had to apply for a permit. The protesters – angry at
Thompson quiet on USP meeting
The controversial Chair of the University of the South Pacific Council, Fiji’s Winston Thompson, has declined to confirm that a meeting he chaired today has asked the university vice chancellor to step down.
Pacific countries will access future COVID-19 vaccine through funding mechanism
Pacific island countries will be able to access a future COVID-19 vaccine through a new funding mechanism announced by Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, at the Global Vaccine Summit last week. Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States
USP’s Tukana resigns
Drama continues at the University of the South Pacific with revelations that a member of a sub-committee formed to probe its besieged Vice Chancellor has resigned. Semi Tukana, an IT expert in Fiji, sent his
USP protest for VC Ahluwalia as meeting gets underway
A group of staff and students at the main Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific staged a short and peaceful protest today. It drew a crowd of about 100 men and women, some holding placards in support for
