FijiFirst Manifesto Out
More than 4000 people joined FijiFirst candidates for their rally at Ba’s market ground, showing the massive support the ruling party continues to enjoy in the biggest province.
And, it was no surprise that FijiFirst chose to release its manifesto in Ba. The manifesto was launched at Nukuloa College in Ba after the family fun day.
The highlights of the FijiFirst manifesto is published in today’s Fiji Sun.
The party’s manifesto booklet will be distributed in tomorrow’s Fiji Sun edition.
As stated by various candidates and party leader Voreqe Bainimarama previously, the manifesto continues much of what FijiFirst has already implemented in Fiji and how it intends to make its policies even better.
Instead of making unfeasible promises, FijiFirst’s manifesto outlines its continuing vision for a modern Fiji. Policies
such as bus bays and park and ride, which are common in developed countries will be set up in Fiji by FijiFirst.
Some of the highlights:
Government will give 10 per cent of its shares in FSC to farmers. Government owns 67 per cent and out of that 10 per cent will go to the farmers. It will be held in a trust and the returns will go straight to each cane farmer. TELS: if your family earns less than $100,000 annually, you will not pay interest on the TELS loan.
While previously to get assistance from Government’s Young Entrepreneurship Scheme you needed to be below 30 years of age and have a qualification. Now, the age limit has increased to 40 years. You do not necessarily need to have a degree to be able to access this fund of up to $20,000 per business.
FijiFirst will set up the Wairabetia Economic Zone. This will contribute to positioning Fiji as a regional hub for services and manufacturing, bolstering the economy and create jobs for not only the Western Division, but for the entire nation.
Review labour and employment laws and human resource development as per the National Gender Policy and ensure equal access of men and women to formal sector employment. Promote girls’ and women training and participation in “traditional male occupations”, such as engineering and technical trade.
The FijiFirst Government’s permanent solution to flooding in Nadi. They have already started work in collaboration with the Japanese Government, European Investment Bank and Asian Develop- ment Bank to pursue blended finance for 13km of river widening, constructing retarding basins, ring dikes, tributaries shortcut and rebuilding 2 existing bridges and construction of a new bridge. New roads will be developed and existing ones improved. More road expansions, including four-lane projects to ease traffic flow and bicycle tracks to encourage a healthier Fijian population, will be undertaken.
Current four-lane projects such as Nausori International Airport to Suva and Nadi International Airport to Denarau will be completed this year. Also, where practical, consideration will be given to diverting roads inland to open up land for social and economic development. This will include development of access roads to connect farming areas to markets. Regulate the shipping industry with a view to protect travelling public rights, fares, cancellations and schedules. To accommodate the rising number of vehicles, FijiFirst will invest in larger car parks, 4-lane roads, and the expansion of bus bays along high-traffic roads. Private sector partnerships will be essential in pursuing some of these initiatives.
Assistance for the bus industry, including duty reduction to stimulate the purchase of modern buses, will continue. We will also create bus lanes on 4-lane roads, and “park and ride” schemes to promote bus usage for commuting in particular in urban and peri-urban areas.
Tomorrow, look out for the FijiFirst manifesto booklet, which will be distributed nationwide in the Fiji Sun edition.