The Fiji Times

What’s happening today!

Bula vinaka everyone. Here is another edition of some basic information you may need to know for today. First, here is your weather forecast for today: Weather Occasional rain, heavy at times and isolated thunderstorms over Yasawa group, Interior of Viti Levu, Northern Viti Levu [Tavua/Ra-Rakiraki], Eastern Viti Levu [Coastal Serua-Namosi, Suva/Nausori-Tailevu], Vanua Levu, Lau...

Running a mini-market

For the past 10 years Marina Ensor has helped her sister sell her produce at the mini-market along Khalsa Rd in Nasinu. Her bright smile and cheerful personality catches the attention of commuters and regular shoppers. The 54-year-old spends most of her time selling fresh fruits and vegetables to help earn an income for the...

Retracing his roots | Asish uncovers family history dating back to Fiji’s girmit era

PART 1 It is a rare thing to find recorded family history that has been neatly articulated by our forefathers. For most of us, our greatgrandparents and greatgreatgrandparents were too poor to go to school and were unable to read or write even their own names. For them, family history was passed down through stories,...

Back in history | Yomiuri tours Fiji

In 1985 district teams were formed in preparation for a touring football club from Japan called, Yomiuri. All district teams in the West, East, and North formed three major clubs to face the visitors. These clubs were called the Westerners, Southerners, and Easterners. The visitors had successfully won the first match of their tour against...

Global warming to global boiling

Movers and shakers in the fight against climate change are gathering for the United Nation’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York Wednesday September 20, while climate scientists and Pacific activists call on Australia to ramp up its own ambitions. The summit comes as the Australia Institute has published a full-page ad in the New York...

Lloyd’s to enter Fiji | New climate-related insurance product design

Fiji will be on the frontline of a new climate-related insurance product designed to help Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developing Countries (LDCs) mitigate climate-related financial risks. In a statement this week, Lloyd’s, the world’s leading marketplace for insurance and reinsurance, announced a partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to...

Growth in service exports

Fiji has experienced a growth of $445.1 million in service exports in the second quarter of 2023 as compared to the same period the previous year, while the import of services has only grown by $122m for the same period, boding well for the nation’s economic growth. According to a statistical news release by the...

Singh: Climate Change is main global challenge

Climate change is one of the main global challenges facing households and businesses, having profound impact on employment and productivity prospects — all important ingredients for economic and social growth progress. This was relayed by Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh to a room full of accountants while officiating the opening...

$5b investment towards tourism industry

The $5 billion investment by three Middle Eastern families towards the tourism industry has been confirmed and is legitimate, says professional landscaper Naushad Ali. Mr Ali, who acquired his dual citizenship together with his wife Sherene Ali in 2016, says because of the previous governments draconian ruling style they waited until after the Coalition Government...

‘Common cultural heritage vital for all our identity’

Heritage is priceless and one cannot afford to let it go, said Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Katamotu Nalumisa at the 2023 Vodafone Rakiraki carnival on Saturday night. The theme for the carnival was “Our Heritage, Our Future”. “Common cultural heritage is vital for all our identity and the preservation of our culture...

Delay in investigation a concern, says family

A family on Taveuni is concerned over delayed investigation involving their daughter believed to have been indecently assaulted two months ago and the alleged suspect remains free. In an interview with the victim’s mother, she said she frequently visited the Taveuni Police Station to follow up on the report and made several phone calls, but...

Charges labelled ‘defective’

The Public Services Disciplinary Tribunal (PSDR) has stated that charges laid on a staff by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations are “defective”. Talei Boletawa was referred to the tribunal on charges of insubordination and backdating National Employment Centre (NEC) application forms for PALM scheme. She pleaded guilty before the tribunal. Ministry of...

Court orders payment

The High Court in Labasa has ordered a labour officer with the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations and the ministry to pay a man $67,845.90. Navneet Prasad suffered injuries while working as an electrician for Lincoln Refrigeration Ltd. Following a complaint to the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, the company remitted...

RBF posts record $102.2m profit

THE Reserve Bank of Fiji recorded a net profit of $102.2 million for the financial year ending July 31, 2023. RBF Governor Ariff Ali said this was an all time high profit recorded for the central bank and it signified the prudent investment of foreign reserves and the favourable interest rate environment in key countries...

Trade unionist hopes for media support

Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) general secretary Felix Anthony is hoping other media organisations can join the trade union after they organised and got the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation on-board. He made the comments while speaking to the media after their national council meeting on Saturday. ” It is not only about better wages, but I...

Call to appoint more tribunals

Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh has asked the Attorney-General to appoint to more tribunals and the courts to hear employment related matters. He said a concern of the union members of the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) is the long delays in the decisions by the tribunals in the employment...

State to facilitate more discussions with Aspen

The Government will facilitate more discussions with Aspen Medical to see how their partnership could be better used to improve overall health services in the Western Division. Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said after his tour of the Aspen Medical-managed Ba Hospital last week that health services delivery has been a concern of the government....

New hospital ready by 2026

The new 305-bed hospital in Lautoka will be ready by 2026, says Aspen Medical chief executive officer Gavin Whiteside. He made the comments after meeting the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad, who was on a tour of the Western Division this week. “The plan is for 305 beds and...

$1.5m park project | Nalumisa: To be completed by next month

Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa says the $1.5 million Sukuna Park project is expected to be completed by next month. During an interview with The Fiji Times recently, Mr Nalumisa said according to the Suva City Council (SCC), the whole project should be completed by end of October, as the only thing left was the...

Good turnout at blood drive

A good number of people turned up to a blood drive hosted by the Nasinu Junior Chamber on Saturday. Assistant general secretary Rohitesh Chand said the blood drive was an annual event. “We have been doing this for the past few years,” he said. “Nasinu Junior Chambers is a non-profitable organisation and we do a...

Kindergarten teacher charged with rape

A woman has been charged for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl and will be produced at the Suva Magistrates Court today. According to Police, the 30-year-old suspect who is charged with one count of rape is alleged to have committed the offence on September 15. Police say the accused is the victim’s kindergarten teacher, and...

Weather watch | Heavy rain alert for Fiji

A heavy rain alert is in force for the whole Fiji Group and a flood warning is now in force for the Wainibuka River and down the main Rewa River. The Fiji Meteorogical Service says this is due to a trough of low pressure that currently lies slow moving over the Fiji Group. The associated...

FSC faces $900m debt, says Singh

The value of the accumulated loss of a $102 million loan taken by Fiji Sugar Corporation in 2005 from the EXIM Bank of India is currently estimated at $900 million, said Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh. He said these losses have been calculated on the “seriously mismanaged investment” where the FSC management in 2005...

Consultant sought to shape strategic plan

The value of the accumulated loss of a $102 million loan taken by Fiji Sugar Corporation in 2005 from the EXIM Bank of India is currently estimated at $900 million, said Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh. He said these losses have been calculated on the “seriously mismanaged investment” where the FSC management in 2005...

Farmers not to blame – MP

Farmers should not be blamed for the low cane production, says Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh. He said while many have the perception that sugar industry might die because of its financial crisis, he believes in Government’s commitment would turn the situation around. “To some level, signs of the industry dying shows especially with the...

Early start to crushing to meet shipment deadline – CEO

Fiji Sugar Corporation CEO Bhan Singh has revealed they started the crushing season two weeks earlier this year so that they could meet a shipment deadline. He made the comments while addressing lorry drivers at a meeting in Ba on Thursday afternoon where the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Prof Biman Prasad was...

Police officer probed for alleged rape

A police officer is under investigation in Lautoka for allegedly raping a women police constable at the station’s singlemen’s barracks. The female officer called the station and reported the matter. The Fiji Police Force has confirmed the report. “The Acting Commissioner has directed the officer to be interdicted from active duties with 50 per cent...

Minister blames officials for $550m loss

Sugar ministers, permanent secretaries, multiple Fiji Sugar Corporation chairmen, directors of the FSC board and highly paid CEOs of FSC from 2005-2018 are all guilty of serious abandonment of their fiduciary duties to the company, said Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh. He made the comments after revealing FSC suffered a loss of $550 million...

Waste discussion | Needs more prominence, says Deo

Pacific Recycling Foundation founder and Waste Recyclers Fiji Ltd chief executive officer Amitesh Deo says discussions on waste is a critical issue that needs to be given more prominence. He told the 2023 KOICA Knowledge Sharing Forum (KSF) in Suva the lack of stakeholder engagement was a huge challenge “where we don’t have people in...

Local News

26th September

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