Catholic Church questions education ministry
FIJI’S Catholic Church will consider the closure of its schools and public protests if it cannot successfully resolve an impasse with the Ministry of Education over the appointment of school heads. But any form of
Lucky Nagata
By LICE MOVONO ALIPATE Nagata may just be the luckiest candidate of the 2018 General Elections after he received candidate number 668, very similar to that of his party leader Frank Bainimarama. The newcomer continues
A win for Fiji Times
Fiji’s High Court in a landmark decision last month cleared the Fiji Times of sedition charges and declared its three newspaper executives free men. The fourth accused, a letter writer to the newspaper’s Fijian
Power Sale Blackout
Critics decry ‘secrecy’ in sale of Fiji’s power utility Why the rush and secrecy behind the sale of Fiji’s power utility? This is the question on the lips of some commentators including politicians in Fiji as
Fiji’s going Green on Bonds
In October last year, Fiji made a historic series of firsts in the international financial markets. It became the first emerging economy, first Commonwealth economy and the first economy in the southern hemisphere to
Bullets found in Lautoka
by Anish Chand Fiji Police have confirmed the discovery of bullets in Lautoka. A resident of Natabua, a suburb of Lautoka city found the bullets inside a bag by the roadside. The incident happened
COP23 $9m Presidency
By Anish Chand “External professional services” was the highest expenditure for the COP23 Presidency of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama as revealed in the COP23 Trust Fund account report that was tabled in
Fiji defends cyclone forecasting capability
WEATHER forecasting is a huge challenge and at most times mixed with complications. The former Director of the Fiji Metrological Services, Rajendra Prasad said forecasters try their best to lock in the correct report by
Fiji unions triumph
Court favours airport workers’ plight A bitter row between the management of Fiji’s Air Terminal Services (ATS) and its employees who were locked out of work for 35 days including Christmas and New Year ended last
Why Ryan won’t back Fiji 7s bid
Get your priorities right, FRU told OLYMPIC-winning coach Ben Ryan has expressed serious reservations on Fiji’s bid to host a leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series, saying the Fiji Rugby Union has its priorities
Stage set for 2018 Fiji vote
Personalities will clash as Fijians prepare to go to the ballot THE personality of Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama ensured that his Fiji First party won an outright majority in the 2014 polls, but that could
Former banker aims to unite Fiji
ONE of Fiji’s newest political parties has not ruled out contesting Fiji’s general elections due to be held in 2018 in coalition with other parties that are opposed to the ruling Fiji First Party of Prime Minister
Make land more accessible: IMF
Fiji urged to reopen credit bureau THE Fijian Government will need to improve its land lease processes if it has to create a business friendly environment for the private sector, says the International Monetary Fund.
E-ticketing or e-misery
Outcry over electronic bus fare card in Fiji THE issue of pilferage in the bus industry in Fiji was not a problem that should be passed down to commuters to deal with, says a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji
Fiji’s bittersweet sugar industry
THERE is a new crew onboard which will try to sail Fiji’s sugar industry to better days. But with the same age-old equipment and archaic farming methods, will the industry be saved by the millions of dollars now being
Fiji airport disruptions
Nadi, Fiji – Ground-handling of aircraft at Fiji’s largest airport Nadi were disrupted a week before Christmas (and disruptions continued as we went to press) following a dispute between workers and the
Masitabua the central banker
By Mereseini Marau-Totoka Growing up in a settlement just on the outskirts of Fiji’s capital Suva, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Esala Masitabua saw the 18-storey building located on
Time for compromise
Fiji calls for understanding By NETANI RIKA, Pasay City, the Philippines AS the self-nominated representative for Small Island Developing States, Fiji has found itself in a position where it may have to fight a lone
Fiji looks North
Kiribati, Tuvalu on Fiji’s tuna radar By NETANI RIKA, Pasay City, the Philippines FIJI will seek approval to conduct exploratory tuna fishing in Kiribati and Tuvalu waters for the next five years. The move comes as
Japan, here we come
Flights open By NETANI RIKA, Pasay City, Philippines DIRECT flights from Fiji to Japan are expected to boost sales of tuna from the Pacific and create larger profits for regional exporters Fiji Airways is expected
Hard decisions now
Fiji sets sights on distant water fishing nations By Netani Rika in Manila. PACIFIC tuna is under threat from the world’s largest fishing nations including China, Japan and South Korea. And the inaction of the
Rise in sex crimes in Fiji
THE number of sexual violence reports in general and particularly against children in Fiji has skyrocketed, according to statistics released by the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office. This year
Fiji success at COP23
NATIONS agreed on November 18 to launch the next steps towards higher climate action ambition before 2020 at the close of the annual UN climate conference or COP23 held in the German city of Bonn. Backed by a wide range
