Increase in town rates Ronnie Chang, Nadi

I take this special moment in time, without fear, favour or rancour, but with bi-partisan respect of all citizens affected, to sincerely thank Biman Prasad of the National Federation Party for his statements on the heartless increases in town rates.

Thank you, Mr Prasad and NFP. Well done! My reference is to all citizens of the economically crippled township of my hometown, Nadi. Tourism is 99 per cent dead.

Many businesses in Nadi, Martintar, Namaka and beyond have closed. Thousands of people are left jobless. They struggle each day to put food on their table. No township in Fiji is as badly hurt as Nadi.

Our Government of the day has the duty of daily care to all citizens.

Why strangle and suffocate all our rate payers in these dark, desperate, COVID-19 and economically-collapsed days?

Please, maintain all town and city rates at status quo until we all return 2019 levels of economic vibrancy. It is the only decent thing to do. Nothing less.

The Minister for Local Government can, with courage, easily step back from this catastrophe she has thinly-veiled upon struggling rate payers in these crippling economic times.

People deserve heartfulness. Not economic suicide.