The VAT effect

Axel Mehling

Nadi

This good Government tries to help ordinary people and lowers the VAT to 9 per cent from January 1, 2016. And this is what happens now:

Up to last week the following prices applied and were advertised on the wall of a shop in Nadi.

1 carton Fiji Premium 335ml $52.

1 single bottle Fiji Premium 335ml $2.20.

One day before ‘Diwali’ (no shame here) the prices are no longer advertised on the wall and the new charges are:

1 carton Fiji Premium $60 – that represents an increase of 15.4 per cent%!

1 single bottle Fiji Premium $2.60 – that represents an increase of 18.2 per cent!

How shall ordinary Fijians ‘digest’ those price increases?

Swearing-in

Tukai Lagonilakeba

Nadi

It was a very colourful fitting ceremony at Government House on Thursday.

To those of us present on the day, we were witness to the many Fijians from different walks of life on a beautiful sunny day.

The RFMF, Fijian Navy and the Fiji Police were all in full force playing their part to confirm the changing of guards in that white house on the hill.

As for Mr and Mrs Gagaj Konrote life has taken a new fold and we wish them all the best in their new first three years as confirmed by our Madam Speaker, Dr Jiko Luveni, during the swearing-in ceremony.

One disappointing factor though, was again the boycott of those from the Opposition party. None of them turned up but they were never missed. Life and business goes on.

His Excellency the President of the Republic of Fiji has had an illustrious career. May you have a very colourful three years serving the people of this great nation.

Education system

Ashneel J Prasad

Auckland, NZ

Fiji Intermediate Examination for 2015 was below 50 per cent. Shocking!

While the external examinations were abolished a few years back, why have they re-introduced it again? Can’t the ministry make up its mind?

Secondly, why put the blame of failure of the standard of pass rate on the teachers?

Education is a four-way junction, the teacher, student, parent and the ministry, thus the failure should be equally distributed just like the success.

Mail delivery

Pranish Lal

Suva

I wish to highlight the poor service of mail delivery that I consistency have to put up with from Post Fiji despite lodging several verbal complaints.

I often receive parcels from overseas via registered mail and it takes Post Fiji up to 13 days or more to deliver a notification slip to my residential address in Tamavua notifying me that my parcel has arrived.

This is not just one isolated incident. In fact at the time of writing I would like to highlight another registered parcel of mine that arrived on October 26, which I was lucky enough to have checked online and had it picked up and yet Fiji Post had not sent me a slip notifying me about this parcel, it has been 25 days now.

Even my internet bills arrive at my residence address months later.

To compound the matter more I have also received other residential mails on my address.

I do not have a postal box and I rely solely on my mails or notifications delivered to my residential address but there is no excuse at the time it is taking them to deliver mails to residential addresses.

I have been told that their mail delivery van makes runs every day, so why the lateness.

Something is really wrong in that department and I hope this letter would serve to set things right for the betterment of all the public.

Juggling wizard

Joe Smith

Pacific Harbour

Fiji, to have any positive impact in 7s rugby game in Rio, Ben Ryan must secure the likes of juggling wizard William Ryder.

Top teams have already attracted their own wizards.