From The Crowd

24th July

Politicians: Should be psychologically assessed

In the social media age, political determinants of COVID-19 are pronounced. “There is no place for politicians to hide anymore so faults are inevitably revealed.” Political power is the master key to all locks and research shows that people...

Jab, Fiji’s only hope

Bula readers! I’m impressed with many of our prominent individuals and groups who are winning the hearts of the citizens as the vaccination rates for the nation increase. Once again, the program could have been executed so much more quickly if only our national leaders had joined hands and shared their platform with leaders from different spectrums of society to promote this lifesaving campaign....

It’s about respect

Maybe it’s an “only in Fiji moment”. Where else could a budget be presented to Parliament in the middle of a raging pandemic with thousands of people infected by COVID, tens of thousands more at risk, hospitals – and now, morgues, overwhelmed – and the Economy Minister refuses to talk about the problem? The budget debate is...

Can we accomplish the same feat in Tokyo

As we countdown days and hours for the men’s sevens rugby competition in the Olympics, there has been only one question in the minds of all rugby lov- ing fans, can we repeat the same feat as in Rio. In this COVID-19 ravaged world, the Olympics, which was supposed to be held last year, was deferred to this year with organisers under heavy...

Raising privacy concerns

I have written a lot in recent months on cyberattacks, ransomware and cyberespionage by suspected Russian, Chinese and Iranian nation state actors. Even the US has not been spared – Edward Snowden’s 2013 disclosure of highly classifi ed National Security Agency (NSA) documents revealed the agency’s ability to tap the electronic communications of almost anyone and triggered an international boom in...

‘Wrong politics’

I am sure you have heard and read many views on the 2021/2022 national Budget presented by the Minister for Finance last Friday. Some views are full of praise. Some are realistic. I have in the course of the past four days, issued daily analysis of the budget. On Thursday, I presented a full analysis. I would like to think that my views are technically realistic. I...

Down memory lane

In 2016, our first Olympic Games gold medal provided a fairytale ending. Our boys stepped onto the podium to receive their gold medals from Princess Anne as tears flowed freely. The noise was deafening as Fijians took to the streets to express their excitement. The nation was at a halt, everything stopped as celebrations went wild. That moment is hard to de- scribe and put...

NSW mistakes are lessons for Fiji

With the Bainimarama Government obstinately refusing to lockdown, Fiji is now suffering the worst medical, social and economic crisis since the measles epidemic of 1875 which led to the deaths of a third of Fiji’s population. Today’s COVID-19 crisis has led to thousands of seriously ill people and more than 100 (so far) dying. This is all totally unnecessary, had the...

23rd July

Fiji’s new budget: Significant fiscal challenges

The task that the Fiji Government has faced since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis has been challenging, involving difficult choices and adjustments. Despite rising case numbers and deaths, there is an obvious tension between protecting health in the short term and keeping non-essential businesses closed for a prolonged period. The government has opted for a softer lockdown — a relaxation of suppression strategies forcing health...

22nd July

COVID-19: The view from a Timorese Village

The hamlet (aldeia) of Poros is a settlement of some 800 people on the edge of Nino Konis Santana National Park and Lake Ira Laloro in Timor-Leste. Historically an isolated community of subsistence gardners and foragers, today many of its young people work abroad — at present, around 30 are in UK, Korea and Australia. I (Akito Ximenes) was born in Poros. This...

21st July

A pragmatic lockdown for Fiji – More government support needed

The daily rate of new COVID-19 infections in Fiji now exceeds 500 (as of 6 July 2021), much higher than India’s peak daily infection rate on a per million population basis. If people start dying at the same rate as in India at the peak of the second wave, it will be a disaster for the country: it would mean around five people dying...

20th July

Far from escaping COVID-19

As a Kenyan business leader, it has been harrowing to see Africa lose so many of its hard-earned economic gains to COV- ID-19. The pandemic has pushed sub-Saharan Africa as a region into its first recession in 25 years, and the World Bank estimates that some 40 million people could be forced into poverty. This...