Tax solutions
10-May-2008

When VAT on kerosene, flour, tinned fish, milk etc was removed a few years ago, did the
poor really benefit?

Is there any statistics that can tell us that a particular household(s) saved some
money? Or a village saved so much money that they were able to buy generators or a boat
for their use, without any donor’s input?

 Now the interim government is indicating that import duty will once again be reduced on
some goods to help the poor. Did it work last time?

When the last government removed VAT on basic food items it introduced Import Excise
Duty (IED). It took tax away from eleven items and put IED on so many other items that
it tipped the sale, so to speak.

It never cost the government anything, in fact it increased its tax collection power.
Sadly the spotlight was shone only on the removal of VAT on basic food items. The IED
remained in the shade.

In business, all the trader had to do was to show that the price of flour etc had gone
down and then add a little bit to the price of other commodities. And you are back to
square one or even worse of.

Fiji now has three import taxes - Fiscal Duty, Import excise duty and VAT). VAT is a tax
that taxes Import Fiscal Duty. It’s a tax that taxes a tax.  

Now that’s a mouthful.

When a government says that it will decrease tax somewhere, it will certainly increase
something else, because you know why, its operating costs will remain the same.

Get the picture. No government in this world loses. It can’t afford to.

But you know what, saying that you will do something to help the poor makes you look
very good on paper.

But in reality? Painting a pretty picture is good but what about its usefulness?

One way we can help the poor is to build the next soap, oil, biscuit and similar
factories in villages and rural areas, so that workers just walk to work.

Now that’s a huge start. He gets employment and he doesn’t have to pay bus fare. And
give the factory a five year tax free incentive.

Get the villagers to invest in a supermarket but run by those with proven track record.
Once again names like - Motibhai and Tappos come to mind.





Allen Lockington,
Lautoka.

Media shut-down
10-May-2008

IT has been reported by the media that Frank Bainimarama indicated during the meeting
with media executives that in the worst-case scenario (that is, when/if the media
doesn’t take on board his concerns) he would shut down the Fiji media.

Although that is a scary thought to entertain, we wonder if Mr Bainimarama is of the
circumstances when a military junta goes down the self-indulgent path of controlling the
country’s media.

The country in focus here is the devastating effect last weekend of Cyclone Nargis, in
the military-run country of Burma (Myanmar).

It has been reported in the overseas media (Melbourne Age/May 8) that “The (Burmese) Government was aware of the approaching calamity but chose not to provide adequate
warning though the state-run media.”

As our thoughts and prayers go out to the ordinary Burmese people for their plight and
unimaginable suffering brought on them by nature, but most alarmingly, the military
government that has ruled them since 1962, we hope and pray that Mr Bainimarama’s threat
to shut-down our media when it suits him, will never ever see the light of day.


Because the way our country’s affairs have been run there is no guarantee that the
citizens’-interests will be first and foremost for this regime when that time (media
shut-down) comes, and we will be shut-out from the rest of the world for as long as Mr
Bainimarama maintains his self-appointed status.

Vive la Fiji media.





Vani Veikoso (Turkey),
Ulamila Wragg (Rarotonga),
Naomi Roberts (Australia).

Commercial fraud
10-May-2008

OUR current business culture is the hotspot of corruption and has to change.

This is where the energy of corruption resonates and has penetrated our system and has
affected and moulded our society negatively.

The increasing number of consumer complaints in the past years is the tip of the iceberg
and truly reflects the unethical status of our local commercial culture.

Even overseas companies have taken advantage of this. I suggest that the Interim
Government clean-up our commercial sector immediately by developing a national business
code of ethic to be used by all people running a business in Fiji, local and overseas
investors from large to small businesses.

We need to change our business culture ethically to improve the standard of our national
economy; I believe this nation cannot be blessed if method of our income and profit is
gain through hook or by crook or by dishonest means.

My observation for last five years and also as a daily victim the unethical practice is
becoming a normal thing in our society that businesses need to crook and cheat to fast
track their profit to survive.




Koroi Matanibukalevu,
Nasinu.

Budget promises
10-May-2008

I READ in the newspaper that the interim Finance Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, has
slammed a Fiji TV news broadcast concerning an interview on food prices on Wednesday May
7.

He claims that “… certain media organisations report news to suit their agenda”.

He reportedly encouraged every citizen to grow some vegetables and root crops in their
backyards for their home consumption.

The encouragement sounds genuine, but I wish to remind the interim Finance Minister when
he delivered the 2008 National Budget he told the people of Fiji that the budget would
save, what he perceived, an ailing Fiji economy.

He also said the 2008 budget was a budget for the poor.

Despite the fact that the rising food prices is a world phenomenon and is something that
cannot be controlled, nor is it confined to Fiji, I don’t see how this budget is working
for the people and saving an economy. Do you?




Litia Tokalau,
Cunningham.

The Kingdom
10-May-2008

FB Shaw raises an issue that unfortunately emanates from not being able to decipher the
scriptures correctly.

Yahshua had warned about the blind leading the blind it is therefore important that
layman ensure they know.

If church leaders are blind that is their business, but lay people should take up the
Berean spirit and know. Some points Shaw missed are these:

Israel had a king. Their king resided in Heaven. In their demand, they wanted to join
the club of nations around them by having a human king too.

The terms God and LORD are English words that were used to substitute the Hebrew term
Yahweh Elohim who is recorded as the Creator of the entire Universe.

But the two English words are loaded with pagan concepts and mentality, even more so
now.

These pagan thoughts are simply not applicable or relevant to the concept and mentality
of the Elohim of the Holy Scriptures.

So the term Kingdom of God could cause confusion if we do not know.

When Yahshua said His kingdom (He has a Kingdom) was not of this world, it is reputed
that he used the Aramaic term which is translated in Greek, as aion (or age) and not as
cosmos (physical world). It changes the meaning of what he said, doesn’t it?

You see we have only one world (cosmos) in one Milky Way within a universe comprising at

least 200 billions such Milky Ways.

But we have had more then one age (aion) since the creation of the universe millions of
years ago. Just think about how limited we really are.

One will never understand the words of the Holy Scriptures, if one continues to limit
its scope and thoughts to a lifespan of a human individual.

We are nothing really just dust, here today and gone tomorrow.

But the Holy Scriptures is about Yahweh Elohim and his intentions (which includes us the
prized created beings particularly his people) and we need to be attentive otherwise we
will continue to miss the point completely, which I perceive is FB Shaw’s problem,
herald by his letter under reference.






Apenisa Naigulevu,
Tamavua

Real Slim Shady
10-May-2008

Hooliganism and self-doctoring in the newsroom especially at the top heavy of at least
two media organisations, namely, Fiji TV and Fiji Times seem to overshadow the very
essence of balanced and fair reporting.

Fiji Times Editor-In Chief Netani Rika should come out of the closet and declare his
political affiliation.

There seems to be little doubt that Rika has portrayed himself to be a man with a
mission even if it means compromising the very ethics of journalism.

His legacy of unbalanced reporting still continues at Fiji Television Limited where his
successor, Mereana Kitione, does little to curb this growing problem.

Kitione should also dance to the “would the real slim shady please stand up” tune and
deny that her professional conduct is being influenced by someone very close to her who
is from a political party which has failed to secure a single seat since the 1994
General Elections.

Might I also add that I won’t be surprised if this opinion is not published in the Fiji
Times, as has been the case with my some of my other contributions in the past few
months.  

Need I say more?
 


Nikhil Singh
Australia