Environmental protection, robust environmental safeguards and Free, Prior and Informed Consent in development projects will be a priority of an NFP Government and there will be an end to administrative technicalities that undermine the food and human security of people in Fiji said Seni Nabou, the NFP spokesperson for the environment.

“The Fiji Times story highlighting the environmental travesty in Bua is both deeply concerning and outrageous ” said Nabou.

“It is all too convenient for the roadworks sub-contractor JJ Gravel Extractor and the Acting Commissioner Northern Alipate Bolalevu to sidestep the issue and lay blame on the Environment Department and landowners for granting their approval when it is common knowledge that most of these projects are being driven top-down and the EIA processes are merely rubber-stamping what this administration wants”, added Nabou.

Nabou asserts that while national development is welcome, it should be not be at a cost to the people who depend on their immediate natural surroundings especially where food security is concerned. “This is why proper and robust EIA processes and allow for public oversight as destruction to one ecosystem has ripple effects to other areas,” said Nabou.

Nabou adds that Free, Prior and Informed Consent for landowners in all development projects are a priority of an NFP Government and that all development decisions under the Bainimarama administration that have sacrificed the environment and the people who depend on it will be reviewed and that appropriate sanctions put in place.

The NFP is calling on the Bainimarama administration to put in place a moratorium to gravel extraction until the rest of the EIA process is properly effected, scientific assessments of the environmental damage made public and compensation for landowners negotiations started immediately.

Seni Nabou

NFP spokesperson on Information, Media, Communications and Environment.

Email: seini.nabou@gmail.com

Phone: 9922053

Lack of consultation with women’s organizations will be a thing of the past if the NFP wins the elections.

The recent women’s expo held in Suva is indicative of unilateral decision-making between the Ministry of Women and women’s NGOs. This continues to be an issue with women’s organizations in the last couple of years as the Ministry of Women has continuously sidelined women advocacy groups in all its activities and decisions despite their years of valid credibility on this front.

“Dr Jiko Luveni has not respected the national structures and machinery of decision-making with women’s groups but has chosen instead to deal with individual women’s organizations and even individuals who have benefitted from the programs of the ministry of women. These divide and rule tactics will stop and women will truly be consulted in all decisions regarding women in an NFP Government.” said Fay Volatabu the party spokesperson for Women, Peace and National Reconciliation.

“The Ministry of Women was set up by the pioneers of National Council of Women Fjii (NCW Fiji) and the Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Taukei (SSV) to be the voice of women in parliament but in recent years the Ministry under Dr Luveni’s leadership has not been liaising with women’s NGOs choosing instead to undermine these structures”, added Volatabu.

Volatabu adds that if women’s progress is to be truly representative and reflective of all women then all umbrella organizations have to be consulted by the ministry as partners in all it’s programs as well as in the compilation of statistics in their research and reports.

On Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, the National Federation Party has committed in its manifesto to:

• promote gender equality in access to productive resources, economic opportunity and decision making at all levels contributes to higher economic productivity and wellbeing for all;
• commit stronger initiatives to gender equality for women in Fiji because despite some progress they still have less access than men to policy decision making, employment and productive assets;
• commit to gender aware public policy and reforms to achieve gender equality to promote more rapid development;
• reform existing policies and programs to strengthen the voice and participation of women in households, communities and in society, including in local government, on boards and other levels of governance; and

• primarily concentrate on five pillars for achieving gender equality and empowerment of women:

(i)    reduce gender based violence,

(ii)  strengthen women’s endowments and economic opportunities

(iii)strengthen the legal and institutional environment,

(iv)transform social norms and practices and

(v)  take measures to enable women’s participation in the policy domain by creating space for women’s collective action.

Fay Volatabu

NFP spokesperson on Women, Peace and National Reconciliation.

Email: Efvee2014@gmail.com

Phone: 9163693

National Federation Party categorically DISAGREES with the following claims by Fiji First candidate Mahendra Reddy and the Fiji First Party

Claim 1: VAT will not provide relief to the poor

• It is true that VAT is zero on tinned fish, flour and sharps, powdered milk, edible oil, rice and tea. However, a typical poor household does not only consume these items. A typical basket for any poor household also includes consumption of electricity bill, water bill, mobile phone recharge, frozen meat, bread, processed food such as noodles, transportation and entertainment.

• Rich consume more fresh meat products (such as fish, goat, chicken) while poor totally depend on supermarket for meat (tuna, lamb neck, frozen meat).

 
Claim 2: Reducing VAT from 15% to 10% will reduce VAT revenue by 33%

• It does not necessarily mean that reducing VAT by 5% will reduce VAT revenue by 33%. VAT is a consumption based tax. As prices go down after VAT reduction, consumption expenditure is bound to increase which will also increase the tax base. The revenue that would have come to the government will now go to into the pockets of the people.

• It should also be noted that between 2012 and 2014, VAT revenue increased by F$160m. During this time, there was no increase in VAT rate. This is evident that VAT revenue is not totally dependent on the VAT rate but the rate of economic activity as well.

Claim 3: Reduction in VAT will reduce government expenditure on roads and hospitals

• NFP does not see any connection between VAT revenue and the expenditure to provide good roads and quality health services to our people. The statement by the Fiji First Party is totally flawed. NFP will be guided by a medium to long term infrastructure plan for our roads and hospitals.

• NFP will reduce wastage of government financing through efficient checks and balances and ensure the productive use of government revenue.

 
Dr Sunil Kumar
NFP Spokesperson:
Economy, Finance & Trade

The National Federation Party condemns in the strongest terms, the amendment to the electoral decree issued last week with regard to who is “ordinarily resident” in Fiji to qualify to stand for elections.

The amendment has ruled out two of the party’s leading candidates from standing in the upcoming general elections, Ms. Makereta Waqavonovono and Mr. Jone Vakalalabure.

These two highly qualified Fiji islanders would have been two of the best parliamentarians to have served our country.

This is the calibre of Fiji islanders that our country needs to take Fiji onto another level of service to the public.

Yet the interim administration sees it fit to disqualify them for being away acquiring higher professional skills that would have served our country greatly through parliament.

The process of amending the decree last week was just as bad as the substance of the amendment.

The amendment was from the office of the Attorney General whose most senior lawyer was representing the defendants in litigation before the high court.

Litigation brought by Ms. Waqavonovono asking the court for constitutional and human right redress with regard to her eligibility to stand for elections.

And as we all know, the AG is also general secretary of a rival political party and one of the defendants in that litigation as Minister responsible for the Elections.

It is a matter of grave concern that a defendant in live proceedings, who happens to be AG as well general secretary of a rival political party and Minister Responsible for Elections and the Electoral Decree, be allowed to change electoral rules by decree, weeks away from the elections.

It is also very disrespectful to the Court.

The party also expresses great concern that while the matter of the litigation was live before a Judge of the high court, the Chief Justice signed the amendment decree as Acting President of Fiji.

The National Federation Party is not taking this issue of disenfranchisement by decree lightly. The party will be exploring its options further.

After eight years, the people of Fiji deserve, at the very least – free and fair elections. One that is free of interventions by decree from one of the parties contesting those elections.

Kamal Iyer
General Secretary