Narube Will Remove E-Ticketing Card System
Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube will abolish the e-ticketing card initiative the FijiFirst Government introduced in 2017, if his party wins power.
He was responding to a question from a member of the public during the party’s campaign at Ro Tavo settlement in Delaivalelevu on Tuesday night.
The e-ticketing system is a government regulated fare payment system that requires the travelling public to pay their bus fare through an electronic means. From 1st of October, 2017, passengers on public buses no longer paid their bus fare using cash. Cash fare is completely replaced with an electronic ticketing system.
All passengers travelling on public buses need to register for an eTransport Card available at no cost and have these cards pre-loaded with electronic value to travel on public buses. The cards make sure that all revenue is properly collected and accounted for, and stop pilferage involving drivers.
Mr Narube said Fiji was not ready to use the e-ticketing card system.
“Fiji is a poor country and therefore the use of the e-ticketing card is not suitable for us. The e-ticketing is only suitable for countries like Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Narube said.
“Families worry about what they eat tomorrow while there is money in their e-ticketing card.
“The people should have been consulted before the initiative was introduced. When elected into Government we will remove the e-ticketing card initiative.”
Mr Narube said the party candidates have what it took to run Government.
“We must mend the past, heal the wound of the past, have a clean slate then we have hope for the future. The Government is spending a lot of money. The Government doesn’t have any money. They only have money from the tax we pay and other fees. When our tax is not enough they borrow more, and the debt accumulates and it is ridiculous.
“We don’t see the debts as we only see what they do. We only clap and thank them for the freebies. We must know how to manage our finance.
“Money is important, and we must know how to grow that money. So, get someone who knows how to manage that economy.
“We need people who will look after the poor, give you more money and most importantly a Government that listens to you.
“Fiji needs a leader that you believe has the best credential to take Fiji forward. Please go out and vote for the party that listens to you more. Don’t worry about what the Government is doing because we will do the same and even better.”
Mr Narube added that the churches and chiefs must be treated sensitively.
Party candidate Suliasi Tamanalevu told those present that they were glad to led by Mr Narube.
“Through the media I got to know that Mr Narube was forming a party. It is hard to find a leader like him. Someone who is an intellectual,” Mr Tamanalevu said.
“The problem in this country is that our pockets are empty. We have the resources, but we go overseas to get them.
“When we come into the Government we will revive the banana industry which was damaged in 1972 by Hurricane Bebe.
“We will revive the copra industry which will benefit the Lau group greatly. We will also revive the rice industry. Recently, two billion people in the world survive on flour from cassava and there is no flour in Fiji made from cassava. In Africa they have a lot of products that are from cassava.
“This is how we will put money in your pocket. We will buy the raw materials from the people and that is the cassava and make flour.
“We will try our best to be a creator of employment and not destroyers of employees. We must export and reduce our import. We will try our best to look for markets for farmers to sell their products.
“People always label farmers as lazy, but they are not. They are planting but they don’t have the market to sell their products.”
More than 80 people attended the campaign meeting.
Edited by Percy Kean
