Letters To The Editor, May 21, 2018

Billboards

Spencer Robinson, Suva

It's amazing to see the successive changes to the content on the gigantic billboards along our roads.

Many of us will notice the new powerful words on display which reads, 'Fiji Does Bet­ter When Fijians Unite.'

Indeed, the common slogan we all learnt in school was 'united we stand, divided we fall.'

It has continuously become most applica­ble in the past, present and the future.

Most organisations in Fiji, be it small or big, embrace team work as a key value for success.

Furthermore, without co-operation at “home” among our nuclear or extended families, nothing fruitful can be achieved.

Let us continue to pray for each other, our country and leaders, the region and the world to cherish the power of holding hands as a team and showcasing “unity in diver­sity” for the betterment of our future.

Traffic light

Suresh Chand, Nadi

This is in regard to traffic lights.

I think we must understand the basic sig­nal timing fundamentals.

Traffic signals may be placed into two broad groups by their method of operation.

They can be either pre-timed or actuated.

I think Nadi is using the pre-timed signals that provide each intersection approach a fixed amount of time on a round-robin ba­sis, serving each approach consecutively, and repeating the pattern.

Under this pattern, no movements are skipped. Whereas an actuated traffic signal relies on some mechanism for detecting ve­hicles as they approach the intersection.

Where detection has occurred, green time is provided to that approach.

Approaches with no detection are skipped.

While the rest of lights work fine, the one near Carpenters Motors needs an adjust­ment to the timing.

You wait for too long before the green light comes on.

I request FRA to please look in to this as soon as possible.

Youth empowerment

Shiu Kumar, Ba

The Eastern Division Stakeholder Consul­tation Workshop was a grand initiative by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Youth involvement in such workshops can make them realise their talents and how best they can use them to disseminate infor­mation to change the mindset of our society towards healthy living.

The number of people with Non Commu­nicable Diseases (NCDs) are increasing and it is high time that we change our way of living to make our nation economically vi­brant.

Youth participation will give them the op­portunity to voice their concerns, opinions, and give stakeholders a chance to respond, share best practices and business ideas and achievements to motivate young people.

Our youths make a significant chunk of our society and this type of workshops will mould them to be the best advocates of change.

They are the future. They must be involved in the decision-making process.

What they will do today will definitely af­fect tomorrow. More workshops on NCDs and climate are needed around our centres to empower our leaders of tomorrow.

Fair lease distributions

Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi

Pine landowners of the country are now very fortunate to be receiving their divi­dends after a long time. A drought of 20 years from the inability of past governments to do the right thing by these landowners.

It is indiscriminate and is rightly their en­titlement.

The chairperson of Fiji Pine Group, Faiz Khan, and his board members must be com­mended for turning the fortunes around in paying off the accumulated millions of dol­lars of debts for Fiji Pine this year and the dividends amounting to $7 million paid to the landowners.

The board inherited a big debt from the previous governments’ appointed board members and the credit must be accorded to our Minister for Public Enterprises and Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum through his very wise choice of highly-qualified board members headed by chairperson Mr Khan.

Government’s equal share distribution was lauded by the SODELPA opposition MP Ro Kini Kiliraki in Parliament last week, where he had asked the Minister for Econ­omy to please ensure that the next pine pay­ment be deposited direct to TLTB for equal distribution to all landowners, which is something they have always opposed from its inception.

I feel it is a great acknowledgement from the SODELPA that the FijiFirst Govern­ment, through the 2013 Constitution, is do­ing the right thing by all Fijian landown­ers, especially Ro Teimumu Kepa and Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, who have always op­posed the concept because they will now receive less than what they used to get from this equal distribution of lease monies.

It is equality, chiefs and the rest, but these pine landowners are now very grateful to this Government’s visionary initiative and I do hope they will now give up more of their idle land for pine planting and leasing to Fiji Pine Group.

Toso Viti toso.

Government assistance

Narayan Reddy, Lautoka

Government assistance is not a bad thing, but the abuse of any assistance is.

Tropical Cyclone Winston assistance was abused and after the floods came Homes-CARE and Farms-CARE assistance.

I believe the 'free mentality' will always be abused no matter what you and I do.

Has anybody gone to hardware shops or any hire purchase stores to check the pric­es?

The price of electrical items and furniture has gone up overnight.

One shop in Lautoka is giving cash back if you use eCard to buy hardware materials.

It is common knowledge that anything free will always be abused.