Social safety nets
Freight charges
WHILE speaking at a consultation with lorry drivers in Rakiraki earlier this week the CEO of Fijian Commerce and Consumer Commission Joel Abraham said there was a seven to tenfold increase in freight charges during the COVID-19 pandemic. So when the container charges went up, who will bear the final cost — the consumer. (FT 24/6). But he has not offered any solution as to what can be done to address the increase in the cost of goods. Let me suggest to him three ways that could minimise the impact on consumers:
Import duty to be applied on 50 per cent of the freight charges;
Place a freeze on the rental of commercial properties used by businesses; and
Decrease the fees and charges imposed on imports.
SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
$96 million profit
ONE wonders what $96 million profit before tax would look like without the increased tariffs?
Was the increase premature? Was it a responsible decision to request one, while thousands were struggling to survive?
What was the human impact of the tariff increase?
I hope that insulting our intelligence was not intentional by conveniently leaving out significant points of interest.
It is human behaviour in Fiji now — to listen to what isn’t said, then what is.
People of Fiji are smarter today with 16 years of this life.
RICK EYRE
Labasa
Changing poles
CLIMATE change may not really be, the main culprit, for the current catastrophic flooding,
the drought and the sweltering heat.
There is something probably more deeper, that just mere man made causes out there, that’s currently affecting some European and Asian nations.
The poles,
is most likely the real reason, we’re told, for the current extreme weather conditions. shifting magnetic
There’s always a zenith or peak, in such situations. When will that most likely be,
especially for our island nations?
EDWARD BLAKELOCK Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour
Ambulance abuse
LAST weekend I was driving along the Nokonoko Rd in Laucala Beach towards the Ratu Dovi Rd junction and when passing the place opposite the Four-Square Hardware Shop saw an ambulance parked there with the occupants buying mandarins at the roadside stall. The next thing I heard was the same ambulance overtaking me with the siren and the emergency light on. If this was an emergency call why waste time to buy the moli.
This is an abuse of the system. We now have another 10 new ones and the drivers must go through a counselling session. SATISH NAKCHED
Suva
Look north policy
SOME eyes are looking towards growth in population as a factor affecting utility services. In fact (I haven’t opted for of course here), what they may be trying to outline is the rise in population within some areas.
This in my view has to do with development. Something like what we have heard many times before. The look north policy. MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF Natabua, Lautoka
WITH reference to Vani Catanasiga’s article in the FT online — https://www.fijitimes.com/social-safetynets-broken/
Ms Catanasiga is quoted as stating the question that needed to be asked was “where are all the child rights organisation in the country?”
Children are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents and caregivers, “where are the parents and caregivers of these children?”
This is the first and most fundamental question which should be asked in my opinion.
Only when that has been established and based on the outcome of necessary investigations can the NGOs and State step in.
Also, duty of reasonable care provided by both NGOs and the State is a balancing act: weighing up a range of issues before deciding what level of care and precautions is reasonable in the circumstances.
As executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services, can Ms Catanasiga explain what is the council itself doing to support NGOs and the State to provide the best possible care for these children? Reporters should also as part of responsible reporting be thinking and asking questions such as are parents and caregivers of these children being investigated and taken to task within the limits of the law when and where they themselves are failing their own children? SANYA CATHERINE GAIN Naqumu Point, Lami