The Jet Volume 7 Number 4

MARCH 2015. ISSUE 63 www.thejetnewspaper.com 50 CENTS

Hilton RebrandedBy SALOTE QALUBAU

The Honorable Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama launched the official transition of the Fiji Beach Resort and Spa into the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa on Wednes-day February 25.

Mr Bainimarama during his ad-dress said that he was delighted to celebrate a crucial event not only for the Tourism Industry but for Fiji as a whole.

Hilton is not only a famous and trusted name around the world, but is also an integral part of Fijian tourism joining the other great global brands Sheraton, Shangri-La, Sofitel, Radisson, Interconti-nental, Wyndham, Westin and, of course, the new Marriot at Momi Bay, said Mr. Bainimarama.

The Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa and the Vision Group will be further investing an additional $28million to complete the next stage of the resort, this includes a new conference centre and func-tion room; a new restaurant and pool complex; and new back-of-house facilities and production kitchen. Another 115 rooms are also being added to the existing 340 rooms and 164 villas.

Since the Fiji Beach Resort and Spa opened its doors for business

in July 2006, it has been managed by Hilton. However the resort was not fully completed and this result-ed in the full branding processes being withheld to ensure that the property reached the required standard.

Mr. Bainimarama said soon after it opened, nearly eight years ago, the overseas owners and develop-ers struck financial difficulties and the property went into receivership in 2009 with significant debts. Two years later, in October 2011, the Fi-jian-owned Vision Group acquired 60 per cent of the resort and settled those overseas debts. It was a re-markable achievement for a local

company. Vision Group Chairman Dilip

Khatri said the rebranding would boost the profile of the Resort which is the first 5 star resort fully owned by local investors.

This particular acquisition is an important milestone in the much diversified portfolio of Vision Group. This property also signifi-cantly expands Visions engage-ment in the Tourism sector signi-fying Vision Groups confidence and commitment to the Fijian Economy and Tourism Industry, said Mr.Katri.

Phase 1 and 2A of the Resort have been completed and current-

ly operate with 340 rooms with 164 individual Villa Owners owning villas at the resort. Vision Group is investing further to complete Stage 2B of the resort by July 2015 this phase will include a new confer-ence centre and function room, restaurant and pool complex, back of house and production kitchen, additional 115 rooms while phase 3 of the development is in the plan-ning stages which will add a new lobby, retail precinct, F&B outlets and spa. It will happen over the next 2 years.

We acknowledge the many development projects being un-dertaken by the Fijian Government

From left- Vice President Operations Australasia Ashley Spenser, Vision Group chairman Dilip Katri, Tui Nadi Ratu Sailosi Dawai and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama pose for a group photo at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort re-branding on Denarau Island. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.

to further enhance Fijis Tourism Industry. Such development in-cludes the Denarau Bridge repair works commencing, the linking of Denarau Road to Nadi Airport is underway, the redevelopment of multi-million dollar Nadi Airport terminal is a significant undertak-ing and the rebranding of and ma-jor investment in Fiji Airways has been a success.

We in the industry are very grateful for these developments. It encourages us to further develop this property to give our guests an awesome time in our country best described as the Happiest place on Earth. Mr.Khatri added.

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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER2

FROM THE DESK

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Fiji - the way the world should be Being the hub of the Pacific, Fiji has everything that a spectacular tropical paradise has to offer - from private island resort accommodations, top class restaurants to white sandy beaches, inbound tours, jet boat rides, hot air balloon rides, mountain trekking, inland tours, eco tourism, sky diving, helicopter rides, cruise trips, scuba diving, massage and beauty parlours, vibrant night life and a

lot more than any other destination in the world offers

q SALOTE QALUBAU

THE JET is Fijis first community newspaper published bi-monthly by YOURSPACE LIMITED from Nadi - the tourism capital of Fiji.

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USP Lautoka Celebrates Festival of Colours

Police officers of Nama-ka are collectively working towards reviving neighbor-hood watch programs in areas within the Namaka boundary following general discussions during the Na-maka district central polic-ing committee annual gen-eral meeting on Wednesday March 4 at the Tanoa Inter-national Hotel.

We have been receiv-ing cases of burglaries and we are advising the public to please take precaution-ary measures before leav-ing your houses such as locking your doors at night, keeping expensive items safely stored in your houses and also alerting your neigh-bors to keep an eye on your house, said Namaka Police

Neighbourhood Watch Zone Committees to be Revived

station Sergeant Anaseini Di-siga.

Sergeant Disiga added that it was important for the public to build good rela-tions with their neighbors in order to clamp down on domestic violence and theft cases.

It is the publics respon-sibility to report any suspi-cious activity they witness occurring on their neighbors premises in their absence or if you witness domestic abuse taking place right next door, said Sergeant Disiga.

Planned target areas for the revival of neighborhood watch committees are Votu-alevu, Waimalika, Martinitar and Legalega to name a few.

The students and staff of USP Lautoka smeared each others faces with bright colours as they cel-ebrated the Hindu festi-val of Holi at the Campus on Thursday, 05 March, 2015.

Students from all races participated in the cel-ebration organized by USP Student Association (USPSA) Lautoka.

Dance performances by students drew thun-derous applause from the big crowd who screamed for more. Prizes were awarded to the three best groups of dance performers.

USP Lautoka was brimming with excited energy as the students sang, danced and threw powdered colours on each others face, hair

and clothes. There was much cheer and laughter throughout the celebra-tion.

USP Lautoka staff Ra-jendra Singh spoke on the essence of Holi, the annual festival of co-lour that is celebrated by Hindus and other ethnic groups in many countries worldwide.

Mr Singh said Holi is a spring festival of love, colour and life, which is somewhat similar to the Chinese Spring festival which USP Lautoka cel-ebrated recently.

Spring comes after winter, therefore hous-es and compounds are cleaned to get rid of in-sects and germs that cause sickness. This is the time people get out of the gloom and doom

of winter and enjoy the pleasant cool and bright spring weather, he said.

Speaking on the reli-gious aspect of Holi, Mr Singh narrated the story of Prahlad, his father Hari-nakashyap and aunty Ho-lika as well as the divine love affair of Lord Krishna and Radha.

The Holi festival, cel-ebrated in the month of Falgun, is associated

In an effort to improve Fiji The Foreign Employment Service at the Ministry of Employment, Industrial Re-lations & Productivity have sent off the first group of Fijian workers recruited un-der the New Zealand Rec-ognised Seasonal Employer Work Scheme.

The twelve personnel ar-rived in Auckland last week-end and are excited to be in New Zealand. The boys are in high spirit and looking for-ward to working very hard in Hawkes Bay for the next

seven months, said Waisale Tora, the groups spokesper-son.

All the men on the team were ready to experience and adapt to New Zealands life, agreeing that the pre-de-parture training in Nadi was valuable.

Ms Mere Tora, Fijis Act-ing Head of Mission at the Fiji High Commission in Wellington, welcomed and briefed the group at Auck-land Airport before they took the four-hour drive to Hawkes Bay where they will

be based until September. Ms Tora impressed upon

the group the importance of focusing on why they were in New Zealand. It is your responsibility individually and as a group to set excel-lent work and behaviour standards that would give employers the confidence to recruit more workers from Fiji, she added.

The Minister for Employ-ment, Productivity & Indus-trial Relations, Hon. Jioji Konrote, reiterates that this is part of Governments Em-

12 RSE Workers Arrive In New Zealand

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First group of 12 RSE workers at the Auckland Airport after leaving Fiji on Saturday 21 05 15. Photo: SUPPLIED.

with music, song, dance, food, merry making and colours.

Some of the songs sung during Holi are Chautaal, Faag, Baeswara and Sada Anand, which are songs of praise sung repeatedly and loudly. According to legend, these songs frighten away evil spirits and bring life or energy in the singers.

ployment Creation initiative towards reducing unem-ployment.

The Ministry of Employ-ment is now preparing to send the second group of

Fijians to New Zealand.sion of the Ministry of Ag-

riculture.

Students of USP lautoka campus performing during the holi celebrations. Photo: SUPPLIED.

q PRESS RELEASE


THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 3

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Students of USP lautoka campus performing during the holi celebrations. Photo: SUPPLIED.



LOCAL NEWS

Farewell for Inaugural PIDF Secretary GeneralSenior officials represent-

ing the Fijian Government, members of the Pacific Is-lands Development Forum (PIDF), the private sector, development partners and the diplomatic corps re-cently farewelled the PIDF secretary general Mr Feleti Teo OBE.

Members of the Pacific Islands Development Forum together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola farewelled the inaugural secretary gen-eral at a reception held at

the PIDF Secretariat. In his farewell speech, the Minis-ter paid tribute to the work carried out by Mr Teo during his tenure at the PIDF. He also congratulated Mr Teo on his new appointment as the new Executive Director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commis-sion (WCPFC).

Speaking on behalf of the PIDF, the High Commis-sioner for Kiribati to Fiji and Member of the PIDF Senior Officials Committee H.E. Reteta Rimon paid tribute

Fijian Ambassador Presents Credentials as Non-Resident Envoy to Uzbekistan

Fijis Resident Ambassa-dor to the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Filimone Kau, has presented his creden-tials to the Republic of Uz-bekistans Minister for For-eign Affairs, His Excellency Mr Abdulaziz Kamilov.

The presentation marks a significant day in the histo-ry of diplomatic and mutual friendly relations between the two countries which was formally established in 2010; Ambassador Kau is now Fijis first Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Ambassador Kau said that this is first time in the history of Fijis foreign rela-tions that a diplomat present diplomatic credentials to a central Asian country.

It is certainly a mile-stone achievement for our foreign policy to establish a non-resident ambassadorial appointment to your great nation, considered the heart of the central Asian region. I bring greetings from the Head of State, the Head of Government and the people of the Republic of Fiji, Am-bassador Kau said.

He added that the Fijian Government is hopeful that the appointment as Fijis first Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbeki-stan will strengthen friendly relations between the two countries and be beneficial to both Governments in terms of technical, cultural, economic and social coop-eration.

Your Excellency, Fiji and the Republic of Uzbekistan can share great values of friendship through coopera-tion in the fields of sports, tourism, education and

The outgoing PIDF secretary general Mr Feleti TEO OBE. Photo:SUPPLIED.

trade. Our countries can also

support each other at the international fora by advo-cating for the protection and preservation of our sover-eign rights as independent states, he added.

In accepting the creden-tials, His Excellency Mr Ka-milov said the Republic of Uzbekistan stood to benefit greatly from its diplomatic relations with Fiji particu-larly in fostering the welfare of its citizens through trade and investment, tourism, people to people diplomacy q DEPTFO

and cultural exchange. The promotion of these

areas will be at the heart of my tenure and I look for-ward to cementing new lev-els of cooperation in other areas of technical and eco-nomic cooperation, tourism and at the UN level between our people.

H.E Kamilov also ex-pressed interest in rugby saying it is one of the fastest growing sports in the Repub-lic of Uzbekistan. We have heard that Fijians are among the best rugby players in the world and we want to learn

from the best, he said. Following the presenta-

tion, Ambassador Kau met with the Minister for Eco-nomic Relations, Investment and Trade Mr Elyor Ganiev, the Chairman of the Cham-ber of Commerce and In-dustry Mr Alisher Shayhov, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and President of the Uzbekistan Rugby Federation Mr Sadiq Safaev and the Chairman of the Uzbekistan Tourism Board Mr Farukkh Rizaev.

to Mr Teos leadership of the organisation.

She noted the major achievements of the PIDF under Mr Teos steward-ship saw the organisation emerge as a key develop-ment space for the Pacific.

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PM Opens Refurbishment of Legal Aid Commission in Lautoka

Launching development works for the official refur-bishment of the Legal Aid Commission Lautoka branch on Wednesday February 18, Prime Minister Voreqe Baini-marama highlighted how the new upgrade in resourc-es would now assist the Fiji-an people to be able to have better access to services of-fered by the justice system.

This office has been open for some time. But be-fore this refurbishment, lim-ited space meant that there was no privacy for those seeking legal advice. Sensi-tive and difficult discussions had to take place in front of the entire room, which was usually over-crowded to be-gin with, said Mr. Bainima-rama.

As of last year the govern-ment had set aside a record $4.4 million for the Legal Aid Commission and as such free legal assistance through the various Legal Aid com-mission branches through-

out Fiji will now be provided for those who earn below or equivalent to $15,000.

Sheikh Abdullahs visit follows closely on the heels of those of the Presidents of China and Indonesia and the Prime Minister of India. We Pacific Islanders no lon-ger only go to them. They also come to us as honored guests. So who can doubt that Fiji stands taller and prouder in the world today than it ever has before, said Mr. Bainimarama.

Successful bilateral rela-tions with the United Arab Emirates have seen the timely provision of solar power projects to light up some of Fijis outer islands such as Kadavu, Lakeba and Rotuma.

Mr. Bainimarama further urged those who qualified for the services to use them efficiently and to take pride in the wonderful opportuni-ties that are being provided and embrace a united fu-ture.

By SALOTE QALUBAU

Hon. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama addressing the audience at the launching of refurbishment of Legal Aid Commission in Lautoka branch. Photo:SUPPLIED.



LOCAL NEWS

Ministry Receives Donation from Elections Office

The elections office pre-sented a donation to Minis-try of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation on Friday February 20 .Certain dona-tions were given earlier to the elections office by the Government of India for the 2014 elections .

The donation includes four Mahindra Vehicles, 30 Identification Card Kits, 13 desktop computers and 3 multi-function brother print-ers.

An official agreement was signed between the Supervisor of Elections, Mo-hammed Saneem and the Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Pov-erty Alleviation, Doctor Jose-fa Koroivueta. Present at the donation ceremony were the Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Public Enterprises, Public Service and Communications Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and Hon-

orable Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Allevia-tion, Mrs Rosy Akbar.

In conducting the 2014 general elections, we have received tremendous sup-port from the government institutions and external partners as well. Whilst todays program sees the FEO handing over equip-ment, we are also looking at knowledge sharing and best practices sharing between institutions, said Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Sa-neem.

Minister Akbar said the new equipment would aid the Ministry to create greater initiatives for disadvantaged, women and children and that the resources would boost the Ministrys morale in achieving its output.

I wish to confirm that 2 vehicles will be used by the Operation Task Force spe-cifically the Fiji Police Force, Local Governments and Ministry of Health and Medi-cal Services to mount de-sired responses to the social

issues in Suva and Lautoka.Our responses are based

on a humanitarian approach that instills confidence with-in individuals to become self-reliant, Mrs. Akbar said.

The ID Card Kits will be distributed respectively to 16 divisional offices of the Ministry and will enable the Ministry to decentralize its services in the divisions making it convenient for the recipients to have access to services.

Minister Akbar added that the partnership be-tween the ministry and the Indian Government re-mained crucial in that it has led to the establishment of the Barefoot College, which is currently being pursued and the training of Fijis first solar grandmothers, dona-tion of sewing machines, es-tablishment of Ability Shine Centre and the National Sewing Centre that has cre-ated income generation op-portunities for people living with disabilities.

By SALOTE QALUBAU

The Supervisor of Elections, Mr. Mohammed Saneem and the Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Doctor Josefa Koroivueta after signing of the official agreement. Photos:SUPPLIED.

Honorable Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Public Enterprises Mr. Aiyaz Saiyed-Khaiyum at the donation ceremony.

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Rosy Akbar after the donation ceremony.

The Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama met with senior officials from the Ministry of Rural and Mari-time Development, Ministry of Infrastructure, the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), the Mineral Resources Depart-ment and the Fiji Roads Au-thority and instructed them to look into water problems faced by residents in Nawa-icoba, Nakavika and Balevu-to, Nadroumai and Ulusila.

WAF Chief Executive Of-ficer Opetaia Ravai updated the head of government on the proposed scope of

works for the Ulusila, Nad-roumai, Balevuto and Nawa-icoba water projects.

The Ulusila water proj-ect which is 85 per cent complete includes the con-struction of a 45,000 litre cement tank, installation of 40 sets of standpipes and showers and construction of a pump well, Mr Ravai said.

Immediate upgrading works for the Balevuto wa-ter supply system include the construction of a reser-voir, PVC mains, installation of break pressure tanks and a water treatment plant.

He added WAF have con-cluded the upgrading works for Nawaicoba with the in-stallation of tanks and boost-

er pumps and was going to continue with future upgrad-ing works, which includes new pump installations and two new reservoirs.

Mineral Resources De-partment Director, Malakai Finau also briefed the Prime Minister.

He said the department has drilled 6 boreholes last year in the Nawaicoba area which includes the Mala-mala, Nalovo and Dakadaka areas.

Further works include, investigating the possibility of identifying a further bore-hole site for Ulusila (Nad-roga), conducting yield and water quality tests and com-mencing water supply work

Government to Address Water Concerns in Western Division

for the Nakavika settlement (Navosa) and Investigating the possibility of drilling a new borehole for the Navu-

tu (AOG) settlement as the replacement for the existing one which had been dam-aged, Mr Finau said.

These water projects are expected to ease water ac-cess to 4000 Fijians upon completion.

By ANUSHIL KUMAR

Staff of Water Authority of Fiji working at one off the breakdown sites. Photo: SUPPLIED



LOCAL NEWS

Culture is Important: Minister Tuitubou The Minister for Youth

and Sports Hon. Laise-nia Tuitubou praised the teachers of Gram San-gathan Primary School in Verata, Tailevu for im-parting cultural and tra-ditional knowledge onto students at the school.

While officiating at the handing over of the schools rural sporting field, the Hon. Minister was accorded an iTaukei traditional ceremony of isevusevu by Year 7 and 8 students.

He paid tribute to the school teachers for teach-ing students about Fijis different cultures and traditions. Culture is an important part of our lives and I would like to show my gratitude to the teach-ers and school manage-ment of Gram Sangathan for teaching this tradition

to our students, he said. Minister Tuitubou stat-

ed that as Fijians, the re-sponsibility was on every citizen to pass down their traditions and customs.

We are all Fijians un-der this Government and for you to maintain and teach our young popula-tion their role and respon-sibilities in terms of their culture gives us hope in the future of our nation, he said.

Witnessing these young students actively participate in the iTaukei tradition of isevusevu was heart-warming and also gives us confidence in the protection of our culture, Minister Tuitu-bou said.

Agriculture Ministry Hands-over Revenue Earnings

The Minister for Agri-culture, Rural and Mari-time and National Disas-ter, Inia Seruiratu handed over revenue earnings of the Ministry of Agricul-ture to the Minister for

Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on Wednesday, March 3.

Commonly known as the Trade and Manufac-turing Account (TMA), this is a semi-commercial business that was initially established for the prima-ry purpose of delivering services to government

Minister for Agriculture Inia Seruiratu and Minister for Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with the senior management of the Ministry of Agriculture. Photo: SUPPLIED.

and the public at an af-fordable rate.

The Agriculture Min-istry has three TMA ac-counts. One is managed by Director Animal Health and Production which deals mostly with agricul-ture drugs and veterinary in addition the sale of fencing materials.

Director Extension manages the other two TMA accounts which deals with providing farmers the service of hir-ing agricultural machines below market rates and the other one is for fuel and Oil.

As at December 31, 2014, the Ministry had

By ANUSHIL KUMAR

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Hon. Minister for Youth and Sports Laisenia Tuitubou and Permanent Secretary for Youth and Sports Josefa Sania with teachers and students of Gram Sangathan School. Photo: SUPPLIED.

a cash surplus of $567, 598.26. This was made possible through the good management of TMA accounts.

TMAs secondary pur-pose is to be viable in its operation by ensuring that it secures enough customers, earn revenue, manage its cash flow

well, undertake capital purchases and be able to sustain its operations. It is also independent from operating budget and is able to provide returns to government at the year-end.



LOCAL NEWS

The Rotary International commemorated its 110th anniversary on Monday February 23 at the New Zea-land High Commission Resi-dence, and had collectively celebrated the auspicious occasion with over 1.2 mil-lion other Rotarians in some 32,000 clubs spread over 150 countries.

Commissioned in the year 1936 the Rotary Club of Suva saw the establish-ment of 4 other branches in the capital and later on branches in Ba, Nadi, Lau-toka, Taveuni, Labasa and Savusavu.

Rotarians contribute their time, energy and pas-sion to sustainable, long-term projects in local com-munities across the globe. In Fiji, projects have fo-cused on basic education and literacy, economic and community development, disease prevention and treatment, water sanitation,

and health, said Rotary Club Suva Peninsula Sunset President, Alisi Tuqa.

According to Ms. Tuqa the Rotary International has contributed more than US$1.2 billion and count-less volunteer hours to help immunize more than two billion children against po-lio and the Fiji Rotary Clubs contribute each year by pledging money that goes towards the global eradica-tion project.

Currently, Rotary is working to raise $35 mil-lion per year through 2018 for polio eradication, which will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foun-dation. Polio eradication re-mains Rotarys top priority, said Ms. Tuqa.

The District Governor Ian Wakefield originally based in Auckland New Zealand will be in Fiji for the week and will be touring numerous Rotary project sites in Suva, the eastern and northern division specifically Vanua Levu.

Rotary International Commemorates its 110th Anniversary

Members of the Namaka duavata central crime pre-vention committee and other stakeholders gathered at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi on Wednesday March 4, for the Namaka po-lice district central policing committee annual general meeting. Divisional Com-mander western and Su-perintendent of Police Jope Ralulu officiated the event as Chief Guest.

The committee consists of the Namaka Police, busi-ness houses; speak the light pastors network, youth groups and communities within the 8 zones which stretch from Waimalika right to Wailoaloa.

Once we move out and educate members of the community, they will be join hands and work together and complete the task as far as crime prevention is con-cerned. Most of the time we want peaceful environments in our work place and in our living environment, but the problems is disunity, said Mr.Ralulu.

Committee members raised issues such as the addressing of taboo issues in schools, strengthening of partnerships between whis-tle blowers and the commit-tee as a whole as well as the need for more community awareness due to the popu-lation total of Namaka being 58000 and about 62 police officers serving in that spe-cific area .

The key areas that we are hoping to target is to get the youth on board and get them community conscious such as involving them in cleanup projects like grass cutting to get their mind off crime ,the main objective of course is making people aware of what they can do to reduce crime. We have taken the Duavata on board because we are including the stakeholders and the business houses have been very helpful and at the mo-ment we have a great team, said committee president Heather Atu.

Committee members elected Heather Atu as President, Ropate Salele as Vice President, Ollie Fong as Secretary,Vijendra Pillay as Assistant Secretary, Henry Brown as treasurer and Jioji

Namaka Policing Committee Works Towards Strengthening Partnerships By SALOTE QALUBAU

By SALOTE QALUBAU

District Governor with the Suva Rotary Club Presidents Michelle Chand, Niten Kumar, Malini Raghwan (Asssistant District Governor), Ajay Amrit and Alisi Tuqa. Photo: SUPPLIED.

Cakacaka as the youth Presi-dent.

Community members are police officers without uniform and police officers are community members without uniform and I hope we can all work together to make a difference in Nama-ka for crime prevention, Mr. Ralulu added.

will be issued to the vehi-cle owners who fail to com-ply with the law.

Meanwhile, the LTA is-sued 2,551 defect notices to vehicles with non-conform-ing lights last year while 25 defect notices have been is-sued so far this year.

They also issued TINs to 1,577 drivers in 2014 and to 31 drivers so far this year for driving a vehicle with non-conforming lamps and emergency lights. A maxi-mum penalty of $200 applies for this offence.

43-year old Amar Kumar who has been begging on the streets of Suva for the last four years is now geared for a new life, through the assistance provided by the Ministry of Women, Chil-dren and Poverty Alleviation.

This has been made pos-sible through the Ministrys sustainable livelihood pro-gram that economically em-powers the underprivileged individuals and families in Fiji. Today, Mr Kumar was overwhelmed to receive a new Kawasaki brushcutter worth $700 by the Ministry.

The Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Allevi-ation, Hon. Rosy Akbar said the new tool will enable Mr Kumar to earn income for his family.

This is an opportunity for you to become self-reliant, to work hard to earn a de-cent livelihood for yourself and your family. We hope that you will put this tool to good use to earn income for your family. The Ministry will monitor your progress and help you start a new life. Through such assistance the Ministry is determined to

create positive changes for families, to help them walk out of poverty, Minister Ak-bar explained.

Mr Kumar is living with his mother and 21 year old son at an informal settle-ment in Howell Road, Suva.

I am divorced, my 12 year old daughter lives with her mother while my son only does casual work and my mother stays at home. I was begging in Suva for the last 4 years and could never forget the insult and risks that I had endure to collect just $10 a day, Kumar said.

I am ready to put all that behind me and start a new life, free from fear and shame. I am grateful to this government and the Min-istry that is the first to ap-proach me to help me for better. I know I deserve a much better life rather than begging and struggling on the streets.

In particular I am thank-ful to Madam Minister, for it is her who has continuously motivated me to start a new life, to have faith in myself and my abilities to become financially independent. I

have taken the first step and I am confident that through my hard work, and support of the Ministry, I will further expand my business, Mr Kumar said

Mr Kumar is also pre-pared to open a savings ac-count for his future.

I am targeting to earn at least $200 a week so that I can also save some money for my family. I have already secured some customers, as I start my grass cutting activ-ity from tomorrow. My mes-sage to people who beg on the streets is to work hard and make use of the oppor-tunity given by the govern-ment to become self-reliant.

This is a caring govern-ment and the assistance giv-en to me is a testimony of its commitment to improve the lives of ordinary citizens like me. Speaking from experi-ence, I can say that begging brings disgrace to families, it exposes women and chil-dren to alot of danger and it should be stopped in Fiji, Mr Kumar said.

No More Begging: A New Start for Amar Kumar

The 43 year old Amar Kumar (standing in middle) while receiving a new brush cutter from the Hon. Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Rosy Akbar.Photo: SUPPLIED

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LOCAL NEWS

Medical Boost for FNUStaff and students of the

Fiji National University wont have to travel long distances to receive medical treat-ment or check-ups.

This was made possible following the launch of the University UniClinic, Welfare and Wellness Centre at the Nasinu Campus on Monday, March 2.

FNUs acting Vice Chan-cellor, Professor Ian Rouse, who officiated at the open-ing ceremony, said the ini-tiative is to ensure staff and students are healthy and en-joy work and study.

Staff and students are a valuable resource to the Uni-versity and this (the centre) will encourage them to stay healthy to better enjoy work and study, said Professor Rouse.

The launching coincided with FNUs Health Screen-ing Program; an initiative which will run this month across all campuses.

I encourage staff and students to come along and get screened so they are aware of where they stand with their health, Professor

Rouse mentioned. He said a number of pro-

grams have been introduced to encourage wellness of staff and students.

The introduction also in-cludes Zumba sessions at the FNU UniStudio Campus in Raiwai every Fridays.

One of this Fridays, I will also hop in the bus and

go for the Zumba session; these are exciting sessions but it is for our wellbeing, he added.

According to Dr Josaia Qovu, one of the operating General Practitioners, the centre will also help fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

FNU is keen in look-

By ANUSHIL KUMAR

FNU Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Rouse (with garland) with the UniClinc Wel-fare and Wellness Centre team during the opening ceremony. Photo: FNU.

No More Toilet Fees for Market Vendors

Market vendors who sell their produce and crafts at municipal council markets around the country will soon no longer have to pay to use council toilet facilities.

Starting 23 March, any market vendor who pays market stall fees will be able to use council toilets free of charge.

The decision to eliminate fees for market vendors was made following consulta-tions between the Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khai-yum, and the Minister for Local Government, Hous-ing and Environment Hon. Parveen Bala. The Attorney-General said that this was another way the FijiFirst Government can assist mar-ket vendors.

Most people including those who work in offices have access to free toilet facilities. But until now, ven-dors who spend full working days at the markets had no other choice but to pay to use toilets, he explained.

The Attorney-General said that one of the FijiFirst Governments main priori-ties was to improve the con-ditions for market vendors in

Fiji.Municipal markets are at

the heart of our towns and cities and market vendors provide a service that all Fi-jians value and appreciate. This decision complements the huge amount of work we have been doing over the past few years to up-grade Fijis markets and to build safe and hygienic con-ditions for vendors, he said.

The Attorney-General said that this was also a good example of how the FijiFirst Government listens to the concerns of ordinary Fijians and takes prompt ac-tion to address them.

When we were at the Lautoka Market today a number of vendors ap-proached us directly to raise this concern, he said. We want to thank them for bringing this issue to our at-tention and we are happy that we have been able to produce a positive outcome for them, he said.

The Attorney-General also thanked the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Parveen Bala, for his quick and decisive intervention. The Minister took immedi-ate action to address this is-sue, once again underlining the FijiFirst Governments principle philosophy to de-liver and to serve, he said.

By ANUSHIL KUMAR

ing after the wellness of its staff and students and it is in the effort they give that we will be able to fight against NCDs, Dr. Qovu said.

It is on lifestyle so we will create more health awareness and more well-ness programs.

The Medical Screening program includes;

- A health and lifestyle questionnaire

- Height, weight, BMI measurements

- Blood pressure - Waist, hip ratio - Individual personalised

advice on how to reduce risks and dietary advice

- Basic blood test full blood/lipid studies/glucose

- Follow up on known NCD cases

- Update on wellness pro-gram

- Update on revised wel-fare policy

The Health Screening Program is free-of-charge and is on a voluntary basis.

Road fatalities are be-coming an increasing con-cern for the Land Transport Authority with 2014 record-ing a total of 12 cases three of which involved children from the ages of 1 to 5 and 2 from the ages of 6 to 10.

Road safety must be taken seriously as one mis-take can result in loss of life or injuries to physical and mental health. It is a shared responsibility and LTA is urg-ing all parents and guard-ians to teach their children about road safety, said Land Transport Authority Public Relations officer An-uragi Prakash.

The Land Transport Au-thority has been working in collaboration with the po-lice and municipal councils to create more awareness on road safety tips as chil-dren lack the skills, knowl-edge and judgment to be able to cope with traffic and therefore need constant

supervision around areas prone to road accidents.

Parents and guardians must make an effort to meet their children after school or cross the road safely. Simple tips such as waiting for all traffic to clear before cross-ing and identifying the differ-ent road signs and pedestri-an crossings decreases the risk of a road fatality, said Mrs. Prakash.

Lack of Parental Road Supervision Growing ConcernBy SALOTE QALUBAU

We continue to raise awareness in drivers and parents to speak more about road safety because its such a critical issue with our chil-dren, said Police Spokes-woman Ana Naisoro.

Ms. Naisoro also says that parental negligence is not always the prime reason for road fatalities as in some in-stances the child was either returning from school and

was unfortunately the victim of a fatal accident.

She further added that the motorists needed to be more vigilant and be mindful about children on our roads as they have a tendency to be easily distracted.



LOCAL NEWS

Farming is Serious Business

One is never too old to venture into farming.

It is both for the young and old as much as it for women and the youth.

Tilling the land or looking after animals on a daily basis can also be seen as a form of exercise and keeping fit but also a means to earning income for the family.

With the Fijian Govern-ments intent of reducing imports and increasing ex-ports and the Minister for Agriculture Inia Seruiratus calls for modernization and rural transformation through agriculture, farmers contri-bution to the agriculture sec-tor is now serious business.

For 63-year-old Ponipate Vuni of Burekadamu village in Wainunu, farming as a business is serious enough as much as being a church steward.

Ponipate retired from church ministry four years ago and ventured into farm-ing at his Nalovu farm in Saolo, in his beautiful and lush green, homeland of Bua on the island of Vanua Levu.

During my journey as a Church Minister I kept on thinking what will be the next step for me since I will not hold the position all my life. So the only best solu-tion came to my mind was to look for a land to lease for farming and make it a busi-

ness as a source of income for my family, Ponipate said speaking in the i-Taukei lan-guage.

Looking back, Ponipate said in 2010 he was able to secure 100 acres of land that belonged to the Mataqali o Saolo to which he has ma-ternal links and was able to plant dalo, cassava, banana and yaqona.

Ponipate never looked back when he saw his farm blooming with the fruit of his hard work and believes that there is success in farming.

The result of his efforts and hard work he put into farming paid off for Poni-pate during his first harvest where he managed to pur-chase a 4x4 Wheel Drive ve-hicle worth $40,000 and also built a Grocery Store worth $15,000.

He now has nearly 20,000 tausala of the dalo variety ready for harvesting and an-other 20,000 dalo plants on the ground.

Even though Ponipate is in his late 60s, he believes he is still strong to work on his farm for another 10 years.

I want to show every-one about the importance of working hard because I am a living testimony.

Ponipate is the only farm-er in the province of Bua who buys dalo from other farmers nearby and supplies it to the market with an in-credible price.

I buy dalo for $2.70 per kg from other farmers and supply it to the market and that way I am assisting farm-

By MARIA LAGETA of Ministry of Agriculture

ers in bringing market closer to them.

Ponipate supplies 24,000 tonnes of dalo every month to the Island Express Com-pany based in Nausori from where it is exported over-seas.

To assists him in his farm, Ponipate hires 10 labourers while his wife looks after the shop.

Ponipate has three chil-dren and his eldest daughter works at Labasa Hospital while his two sons assist him on the farm.

Ponipate plans to plant 100,000 acres of tausala and construct a farmhouse so that he can spend most of his time in his farm.

According to Agriculture Technical Officer [Bua] An-are Leweniqila, Ponipate is among the successful farm-ers in the Province of Bua today.

Ponipate is a role model to other farmers in the area. He started with 300 dalo suckers and now he produc-es 6 to 8 tonnes of dalo per month, Mr Leweniqila said.

He advises farmers to work with the right attitude and treasure what the land has to offer.

I always advice farmers that there is no need to go abroad and pick apples be-cause wealth and fortune is in farming right here in our country, Ponipate says.

Ponipate in his dalo plantation. Photo: SUPPLIED.

Farmer Ponipate stands beside his 4x4 Wheel Drive worth $40,000. Photo: SUPPLIED.



New Classroom Extension for Andrews Primary

Ana Majiwa Ratulevu

Waimalika, NadiYes,times have changed be-cause now we are working together with men and we are now moving forward with our lives. Its not like before where its always just been the men speaking, women are getting better jobs.We do so much more than just look after our household.

Naushad Ali

Megunya, Nadi Yes,but they need to em-

power women more and not discriminate them

Alivereti TogabaleSabeto, Nadi

Yes because the current law system gives them equal rights

Swastika ChandNavo, Nadi

In my opinion I dont think there is enough rights being given to women in society,

because some women are still being ill treated .

Setoki QalubauWailoaloa Martintar Nadi.

Yes because we need to respect women and appreci-

ate all the hard work that they do because some of them face domestic abuse, and womens rights should be protected

Do you think women have enough rights in society?

Sweet Tweets

EDUCATION

The first APTC class of Solomon Islands students finish their Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Photo: SUPPLIED.

The Honorable Prime Minister Voreqe Baini-marama launched the opening of the new class-room block for the class four students of Saint An-drews Primary School in Nadi on Wednesday Feb-ruary 25.

The students who have been using the school hall and library can now move into the new classrooms and into what is obviously a much better learning environ-ment. It will also mean that children on the schools waiting list can now be accommodated ,

Out of the $158,000.00 that its costs to build this extension,$108,000.00 has been provided by my government through the Ministry of Education, so this is a part of the edu-cation revolution that is taking place all over Fiji, said Mr. Bainimarama.

With 914 student en-rollment numbers pour-ing into the school, the grant allocation is an ad-ditional incentive a part from the 33 computers aided by the Fijian Gov-ernment to the school last year for better edu-cational opportunities specifically targeting dis-advantaged students.

The Prime Minister added that as of the sec-ond school term, an ad-ditional grant will be allocated to the school for an early education center which has previ-ously been funded by the school management.

The initial decision for a classroom extension came about November last year as there was a lot of dissatisfaction from the local community since they were always put on the waiting list,

Previously there was a teachers quarters at the same place where the new clasroom is built, so we actually erected the quarters and will be relocating it to another area within the school compound, said Saint Andrews Primary School Head teacher Anasa Va-teitei.

Mr. Vateitei added that with a total of 11 acres of land the school is work-ing towards fundraising for more money to fund the relocation of the teachers quarters in the future.

By SALOTE QALUBAU

Hon. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama cutting the ribbon and offically opening the newly built classroom block at the Andrew Primary School. Photos: SALOTE QALUBAU.

The Manager of Andrew Primary School Mr. Pyara Singh (JP) presenting the gift to the Hon. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama during the official opening of the new classroom block at the Andrew Primary School.

The Hon. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama addressing the audience during the official opening of the new classroom block at the Andrew Primary School.



HILTON FIJI BEACH RESORT AND SPA - REBRANDING

Fiji Beach Resort and Spa Managed by Hilton has today officially been rebranded as Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa. The resort will join Hilton Worldwides existing portfolio of 21 hotels in Aus-tralasia and is an important step towards many exciting new changes to come for Hilton Worldwide in Fiji.

The 271-room resort boasts an absolute beach-front location and includes three restaurants, a bar, spa, fitness centre, seven mag-nificent pools and beach access, water activities and meeting and event spaces.

Throughout 2015 Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa will continue to expand its facili-ties to include the opening of stunning new meeting fa-cilities that allow the resort to cater for larger conferenc-es, events and social gather-ings. Developments are set to be finished later this year.

Hilton Worldwides ex-pansion in the South Pacific is not limited to Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa. By mid 2015 the second Hilton Worldwide hotel will open in Fiji, the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Fiji Sonaisali Is-land. DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Fiji - Sonaisali Island will open with 123 rooms in an expansive oceanfront location overlooking the picturesque South Pacific Ocean. The resort property

Hilton Worldwide Expands Resorts Portfolio in Australasia with the Rebranding of Fiji Beach Resort and Spa Managed by Hilton

GLIMPSES OF HILTON REBRANDING NIGHTPhotos: MARGARET NAQIRI.

will also offer a swimming pool, various restaurants and conferencing facilities.

Frederic Lebegue, Gen-eral Manager of Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, said, The rebranding of Fiji Beach Resort and Spa Man-aged by Hilton to Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, along with the opening of Double-Tree by Hilton Fiji Sonaisali Island later this year, rein-forces the importance of the Fijian market to Hilton Worldwide while present-ing guests with a choice of different accommoda-tion styles when visiting the beautiful destination. We remain dedicated to provid-ing all of our guests with the perfect Fijian holiday.

Dilip Khatri, Chairman of The Vision Group is ex-tremely pleased with the re-branding of the resort to full Hilton status. He said As a 100% Fijian owned compa-ny, our desire is to contrib-ute to the Fijian economy within the tourism sector and also contribute posi-tively to the development of our people in the industry. We are proud to have this endorsement and partner-ship with a Global operator in Hilton.

q DEPTFO



SCHOOL PREFECTS INDUCTION

Despite gloomy weath-er conditions parents and loved ones of Nadi Airport School turned up in num-bers to support their chil-dren who were inducted as honorary school prefects on Friday February 13.

The badge that you will wear is not a uniform deco-ration nor is it given to in-crease the size of your ego. It is a matter of responsibil-ity and action, the task may seem difficult and trying sometimes but not impos-sible, said Chief Guest and President of the Parents and Old Scholars Association Tui Valentine.

Newly inducted Head boy Christian Elaise said he felt proud and honored and credited his achievements to his mother and family.

Students were urged to work as a team in terms of assisting their other coun-terparts and in the process

balancing their studies as academic results remained a crucial aspect at the end of the year.

Im shocked and also happy that I got this oppor-

36 Inducted in Nadi Airport SchoolBy SALOTE QALUBAU

Members of the students council of International Scool Nadi being inducted.Photo: SALOTE QALUBAU.

ISN Principal Stresses Importance of Allowing Students to Have a Say

A total of 33 students were inducted into the stu-dents representative coun-cil of International School Nadi on Thursday February 12.

Its important that as a school the students have a voice in terms of decision making. The students rep-resentative council is a tradi-tion for the school and has been here for a good num-ber of years.

The 33 inducted today include all the year sixs, all the year thirteens and then two at each level from year seven to year twelve as well as the house captains and we had to elect two head

girls as we have a shortage of boys, said school Princi-pal Hector Hatch.

Issues addressed by the council range from uniform changes, better lockers, re-pairing of chairs and tables or basically advising the school board on the needs of the students. The coun-cil will be spearheaded by head prefects Iris Pene and Neha Hiralal.

In the fourth term we invite nominations from students and they nominate whoever they wish for the different positions, we then have an election process and a certain timeline where we tell the students that in two or three weeks time we will have an election so that gives the students time to have an election hearing,

presentations in the assem-bly and then we have elec-tion day,

Election Day ballots are cast and later brought across to the Principal and to the year level coordinators who assist in counting the votes.The announcement of the senior head students posi-tions are normally revealed on Prize giving day whilst other positions are an-nounced the following year.

I feel its a really im-portant part of ISN to have student representation be-cause that encourages de-mocracy from a very early age and the fact that it is a vital thing in our modern economy and society that the young peoples voices are heard, Mr. Hatch said.

By SALOTE QALUBAU

tunity to lead the children and Im looking forward to inspiring younger children so that they can become leaders later on in their lives,

For my success today Id

say probably my teachers, my parents and my friends were the main people be-hind it all as they are always motivating me to study and do better, said Head girl

Kathleen Leveston.Mrs. Valentine further

advised the students that their new roles were a great platform for grooming them to be future leaders and

for them to carry out their duties in fairness, as they would now be assisting the teachers in overseeing close to 558 students and instilling discipline within the school

The Honorable Attor-ney-General Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Aus-tralian High Commis-sioner Margaret Twom-ney as well as members of the non government organization reach 4 your future foundation and the Royal Melbourne Insti-tute of Technology Uni-versity (RMIT) officiated the launch of the new Microsoft IT Academy of Natabua High School in

Lautoka on Wednesday March 4.

This I.T academy is an important step and in-deed sends a very strong signal to the rest of Fiji and also to the rest of the world and the region that Fiji is very much posi-tioned to become the I.T hub of Fiji, but probably more fundamental than that as a government we want to invest in all of you, said Mr.Khaiyum.

The I.T academy cen-tre will be initially for stu-dents within the school and will later expand

onto assisting students from other schoolS who are eager to learn basic I.T skills.

This is supposed to enhance our curriculum facilitation, so as we de-liver our computer cur-riculum in the school ,knowledge of this pro-gram is supposed to help the teachers give lessons in a more lighter and in a more effective way,

And that the same time the students who are able to complete the Microsoft training pro-gram will receive Micro-

soft accreditation which no one else has at the moment so thats why this is a first in Fiji and we are the pioneers for this program, said school principal Mr. Virendra Sharma.

Mr. Sharma added that the next step for the school will be to nego-tiate with the Ministry of Education in terms of how much more the school can expand the program.

Students will have their own email addresses and through the Microsoft

The 36 newly inducted school prefects at the Nadi Airport School Photo: SALOTE QALUBAU.

package will be able to access their curriculums, assignments and lesson plans while the teacher monitors their progress.

Ten teachers will be certified to the UNESCO level framework at Mi-crosoft. Teachers can become network tech-nologists or Microsoft technologists so the value this system has is end-less.

Mr.Khaiyum added that with the setting up of nearly 22 telecenters around Fiji this signified that the government was

New I.T Academy for Natabua High School Studentsensuring that each and every student received equal educational op-portunities and in addi-tion have been identify-ing schools and providing them with basic academ-ic necessities such as computers, scanners and web cams hence assist-ing students in broaden-ing their knowledge and tapping into their hidden potentials.

By SALOTE QALUBAU



TOURISM

An e-guide developed in the Chinese vernacular, spe-cifically for the Chinese mar-ket is proving to be a hit with key media outlets in China.

The guide, which serves as an introductory overview of Fiji as a tourist destination, is one of the many strategies employed by Tourism Fiji and its industry partners to equip the travel and leisure media and industry partners in China of the myriad activi-ties on offer for travellers to Fiji.

The e-guide currently sits on a website managed by Travel Daily Asia, although the contents have been de-veloped by Tourism Fiji and Fiji Airways.

Launched in 2013, Travel Daily China has a grow-ing database of more than 18,000 Travel Industry per-sonnel skewed towards out-bound travel in China, Tai-wan, Hong Kong and Macau.

Travel Daily readers in China are primarily made up of Travel agents, hotels, Tour operators & Destination Mar-keting Companies (DMCs)

who work on front-line sales, with at least 26,292 employed in contracting departments, while 19,680 hold managerial and/or su-pervisor positions.

The e-guide will be pro-moted in Travel Daily Asia and Travel Daily China by way of a Skyscraper or Wide Runway banner on the com-panys PDF Newsletter to a total combined database of 76,000 targeted travel con-sumers across the two mar-kets.

This initiative was intend-ed to increase awareness of destination Fiji to key Travel agents and other decision makers in the Travel and Tourism sector across China and greater Asia, as well as promote regular flights to Fiji from key international desti-nations such as Auckland, Christchurch, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Hono-lulu, Los Angeles and most importantly - Hong Kong us-ing Fijis national airline Fiji Airways.

At a well-attended press event held in China on Feb-

ruary 11, Bacon Zhan, Senior Features and Lifestyle Editor of Tatler (China) magazine shared his excitement about having access to relevant in-formation on Fiji for their af-fluent readers.

Chinese people love to

E-Guide a Welcomed Resource for Chinese Travel Media

travel to countries which are very different from the city landscape and traffic. Price is low on the list of factors that determine where they go so Fiji is an ideal destina-tion for us with its pristine natural environment and

friendly people, said Zhan. People in China do not

know about Fiji and this e-guide is a great tool for the media to learn more about Tourism in Fiji so that we could better communicate it to Chinese travellers.

The e-guide was a collab-orative project by Tourism Fiji and Fiji Airways.

q TOURISM FIJI

Vodafone Fiji signed a Concession License Agreement with Airports Fiji Ltd yesterday at the arrival concourse in Nadi International Airport. The Concession Licence Agreement was signed for 5 years by Vodafones Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Pradeep Lal and Ex-ecutive Chairman of Air-ports Fiji Limited Mr. Faiz Khan.

Mr. Lal said that the agreement allows us to

proceed with the reno-vation work and upgrade of the airport shop. The upgrade will help deliver better services and inter-actions between us and our international custom-ers. He emphasized that the commitment to de-liver world class services to our customers is para-mount and the new de-sign will compliment this goal, enabling us to keep pace with Vodafones achievements in the tele-

communication industry. Vodafone always

strives to provide the best products and services to our customers. Airports Fiji Ltd has continuously supported our develop-ment towards enhance-ment of customer ser-vices and the agreement is another great under-standing of our partner-ship. The new outlet will be a great platform to show case our brand to international customers

New Look for Vodafones Nadi Airport Store

Vodafones CEO, Mr. Pradeep Lal and Executive Chairman of Airports Fiji Limited Mr. Faiz Khan after signing of concession licence agreement. Photo: SUPPLIED.

and to our local consum-ers as well, Lal added.

While work in the new shop will commence soon , the current Voda-fone shop will remain op-erational until the com-pletion of the new retail.

The concession agree-ment was signed in the presence of Vodafone and AFL senior manage-ment team.

q PRESS RELEASE



TOURISM

Fiji to Welcome New Five-Star Pullman ResortAccor, the leading ho-

tel operator in Asia Pacific and the Fiji Islands, today announced it will grow its Fijian hotel network with the addition of a new-build, multi-million dollar upscale address, the Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, scheduled to open in 2016

The project is being de-veloped by the Gokal Group of Companies, one of Fijis most successful home-grown corporations and a household name in elec-tronics and appliances in the South Pacific. The resort will

be Gokal Groups first up-scale hotel development in Fiji and venture with Accor.

Garth Simmons, Senior Vice President Operations Accor New Zealand & Fiji, said, Accor is proud to be working in partnership with the Gokal Group of Compa-nies on this exciting new de-velopment, and we are con-fident it will stimulate travel and contribute strongly to the tourism growth in the Nadi Bay region.

In recent times we have recognised a sweet spot in the upscale market in Fiji,

ideal for the Pullman brand which bridges the needs for business and leisure guests.

We congratulate Go-kal Group on their initiative and vision to invest in this great development, and be-lieve it will contribute to the true potential of this region being realised in coming years via significant employ-ment, tourism and revenue growth.

Gokal Group General Manager Vikesh Gokal said, We are excited to officially announce our first upscale tourism development proj-

ect with the development of the Pullman Nadi Bay Re-sort & Spa. Gokal Group is pleased to be working with Accor, and we look forward to embracing their global network to benefit from the international brand recogni-tion Pullman represents, and the groups dynamic distri-bution, digital and loyalty programs that extend across the globe.

The Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa will be Accors 5th address in Fiji, comple-menting its existing hotel portfolio incorporating the q PRESS RELEASE

Mercure Nadi, Novotel Nadi, Novotel Suva Lami Bay, and the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island.

Currently under construc-tion, the new Pullman proj-ect represents a strategic op-portunity to drive the future economic growth of Fiji, and will employ 300 staff once completed and operational.

Located beachfront on Nadi Bay, the resort will of-fer guests a premier location just two kilometres drive from the Nadi International Airport. The finished resort is expected to open with

234 rooms and suites, and offer guests an extensive range of facilities including six restaurants and bars, two swimming pools and a day spa. Pullman Nadi Bay Re-sort & Spa will also feature four meetings rooms, with capacity for up to 400 guests theatre style.

The aerial artistic view of Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa. Photos: SUPPLIED. INSET: Room interior voew of the hotel.

The artistic external waterfront view of Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa.



TOURISM

An attentive, hands on approach to his job has seen duty manager Leone Ro-kovada named Manager of the Month in the February Vuvale staff awards.

Leones efforts were ap-preciated by guests who complimented him on the way he handled their com-plaints in their comment cards.

Front of House winner was banquet supervisor Ameniasi Navunitale whose can-do attitude and thor-oughness in performing his duties makes for seamless

banquet events. Ameniasi also possesses

a customer service person-ality that is appreciated by event organisers.

Purchasing officer Sid-harath Anand won the Back of House award due to his exceptional work while his supervisor was on sick leave and for the way his depart-ment handled last minute requests from the Seagate international conference group.

Baravi food and bever-age attendant Asena Laqere took out the Here to Help

award with her energy, dedi-cation and efficiency. She is a diligent worker who dis-plays excellent guest inter-action skills.

The How Can I Help win-ner was chief steward Ano-op Singh, whose hard work ensured that the Seagate group enjoyed the high stan-dards of service for which we are famous.

q PRESS RELEASE

Hands On Approach Makes Leone Manager of the Month at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort

Resort General Manager, Peter Hopgood, Cheryl Fenton(returnee guest), Ameniasi Navanitale, Leone Rokovada and Bruce Fenton (returnee guest). Photo: SUPPLIED.

DEPARTS DAILY FROM NADI SUVA WITH PICKUPS AT NADI AIRPORT, LOCAL HOTELS AND PROUDS NADI TOWN. DAILY DEPARTURES AT 7.30AM & 1.00PM

CORAL SUN EXPRESS NOW CARRIES YOUR EXTRA LUGGAGE FOR FREE! TAKE 2 PIECES UP TO 45KGS IN TOTAL ON US!

TRAVEL IN AIR-CONDITIONED COMFORT FOR YOUR NEXT JOURNEY TO SUVA. FOR BOOKINGS CALLS US ON 0800 672 0455 OR VISIT OUR NADI AIRPORT

BOOKING OFFICE. BOOKING ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CORALSUNEXPRESS.COM

NADI - SUVA - NADI SUVA - NADI SUVATWICE DAILY IN EACH DIRECTION



TOURISM

Tourism Fiji success-fully conducted a series of multi-city workshops from 2 - 6 February, covering 4 cit-ies, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. The delega-tion was led by Mr. Faiyaz Koya, Minister for Industry, Trade & Tourism, Ms. Lorna Eden, Assistant Minister for Industry, Trade & Tourism along with industry partners, Ahura Resorts, Fiji Airways, Captain Cook Cruises, Na-male Resort & Spa, Rosie

Holidays, Royal Davui Island Resort, The Pearl South Pa-cific and Tour Managers.

In addition to the Tour-ism Fiji India market repre-sentatives, Ms. Sally Cooper, Director of Events and Ms. Kathy Koyamaibole, ASIA Marketing Manager attend-ed the roadshow. The strong presence from the Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Fiji and industry partners further re-iterates our commitment to-wards developing the Indian

Focus on Fiji for Indian Travellersmarket and its importance.

The workshop format consisted of full-day, one-on-one meetings in all four cities enabling the Fijian delegates to present their respective products and in-teract with Indian travel fra-ternity. The response to the roadshow was fantastic with about 450 travel agents and tour operators attending the roadshow.

Tourism Fiji also partici-pated at SATTE in Delhi from

the 29 - 31 January. SATTE was attended by Tourism Fiji, along with Fiji Airways and the two inbound op-erators, Rosie Holidays and Tour Managers, active in the Indian market.

Fiji has carved its niche in the Indian outbound market and is becoming increasing-ly popular not only amongst high-end honeymooners but even small groups of fami-lies, friends and corporates. While the main focus is on

honeymooners and couples, Tourism Fiji is also enthusi-astically investing in the de-velopment of the family and small, platinum level incen-tive group segments as well.

Visitor arrivals to Fiji from India have been growing steadily year-on-year. Fiji witnessed an 8% growth in Indian visitors arrivals from January to December 2014 compared to the same pe-riod in 2013.

Tourism Fiji acknowl-

edges the support from all the Travel Trade partners in India and Fiji for their sup-port in the development of Indias outbound travel mar-ket to Fiji and look forward to sharing more of why Fiji really is where happiness finds you.

q PRESS RELEASE

Prominent Frontliners who are usually at the fore-front of customer service gathered at the Radisson Blue resort in Nadi on Fri-day February 7 to get an up-close view of the Fijian tour-ism sector.

Our tourism industry is consistently growing year by year and its mainly due to our friends from Australia and New Zealand and thank you for being our matai spe-cialists and selling Fiji. The matai program was formed many years ago ,it sort of died away a little bit but its been revived ,its been rejuvenated and believe all 156 of you are now matai specialists, said the Hon-orable Assistant Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism and Chief Guest Lorna Eden.

Mrs. Eden added that the Frontliners program and oth-ers similar to it would not be made possible without the assistance of various in-dustry partners such as the Radisson Blu, tour managers and tourism Fiji.

Radisson Blu Resort Fiji General Manager Gerard Knight shared similar sen-timents and commended the front liner agents from Australia and New Zealand .He also highlighted that the Radisson Blue was having a few face lifts in terms of the construction of the new

lobby and restaurant which he confirmed will be open in time for the high season.

I represent right now 360 plus staff that love the community and we have been raising money for the tourists that you send us and weve been leveraging that. Weve also raised over $200,000 .We have also fully funded an early learning centre in the community,

We have put about 300 computers in schools and weve set up 10 libraries in schools that have either had some books or nothing at all, so thats the sort of thing we do on the side besides look-ing out for your customers and with the government stepping up now and putting a lot more into schools we are reviewing how we can help and we will continue to help and talk to your cus-tomers, said Mr. Knight.

Traditionally the Frontlin-ers visit Australia and New Zealand through road shows where a contingent from Fiji representing different resorts and tourism service providers will visit source markets travelling to differ-ent locations and exploring the vast sector of tourism.

According to Tourism Fiji Director of events Sally Coo-per the core focus behind in-viting front line sales staff to Fiji was to help them expe-rience Fiji and Bula spirit first hand .Frontliners who were present at the program had each qualified as matai specialists following the re-

launching of the program last year.

Everyone thats here had to complete the program which was a basic questions and answer regarding gen-eral information about Fiji islands and what it means is that by coming in and hav-ing the experience here it makes it easier to market Fiji rather that reading from a piece of paper ,

The 160 frontline staffs are divided as in half are from New Zealand and the others are from Australia and then we have 50 com-panies represented as ex-hibitors. In addition we have all the inbound operators, contributing to transporta-tion, activities and d9ifferent events and we will be show-casing a lot of the proper-ties, said Mrs. Cooper.

Mrs. Cooper added that it was very crucial for ma-tai specialists to have ac-curate information about a broad range of markets in terms of being able to cater to customers diverse requests. The matai special-ists have the option of opting for a niche market and will be able to move onto the advanced program moving onto romance, family or ad-venture to provide a truly Fi-jian experience for tourists.

Frontliners Program Aims to Strengthen Bula SpiritBy SALOTE QALUBAU

Fiji Audio Visual Sector Has Untapped Potential

The Audio-Visual sector is a priority area for Fiji and the Cabinet endorsed Fi-jian Trade Policy Framework identifies the huge poten-tials and long term benefits to the economy.

Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism perma-nent secretary, Shaheen Ali said the Government has a vision of making it big in the industry where Fiji is a smaller version of Holly-wood and Bollywood.

There are synergies to be drawn from having a suc-cessful film industry and the inflow of tourists and also investment, he said while opening the 2015 Audio Vi-sual Agents Consultation Seminar in Suva.

The Government has shown commitment to the industry leading to the once stagnant sector to one that churned $60 million worth of economic activity through 52 productions in 2014.

The three key agencies-

Film Fiji, Investment Fiji and Tourism Fiji have played a big role in this with tourism sector expected to register a further boost through the exposure Fiji is getting as a destination.

In December 2010, the Fijian Government in-creased the amount of film rebates from 35 per cent to 47 per cent- making Fiji one of the most attractive filming destinations in the world, Mr Ali said.

He said the licensing regulation for audio-visual agents that came into force in 2012 was not meant to make it difficult for opera-tors but to protect them and the industry.

The licensing regime en-sured that the right people were engaged by overseas production, ensuring effi-cient and timely delivery of services and agents provid-ing services expected by in-ternational standards.

Film Fiji chief executive

officer, Dallas Foon said they were now targeting the tele-vision commercial market because not only did it bring in big names such as Sam-sung and Jeep, it was a great exposure for Fiji as the ad-verts were beamed across the world.

He said the Chinese pro-duction Dad, where are we going- Part 2, which was shot in Taveuni, Pacific Harbour, Beqa and the Ma-manucas, had 70 million tickets in the first few days of screening and expected to sell 1.7 billion.

It is a great exposure and what we want for Fiji. The tourism sector will benefit at the end of the day, Mr Foon said.

The Ministry and Film Fiji jointly organised seminar was on the theme Unlock-ing the Audio Visual Indus-try.

q PRESS RELEASE



BUSINESS NEWS

The Minister for Agricul-ture, Rural and Maritime and National Disaster, Hon Inia Seruiratu successfully nego-tiated financial assistance of US$6m to fund the Fiji Agri-cultural Partnership Project (FAPP) with the Internation-al Fund for Agricultural De-velopment (IFAD) during his recent visit to Rome, Italy.

The objective of this project is to assist small-scale producers engaged in sustainable farming and business partnerships in remote areas particularly the highlands of Viti Levu. The project will be targeted at enhancing the Ministry

of Agricultures capacity to facilitate the private sector and address the public envi-ronment for the involvement of agribusiness in agriculture value chains. At the same time, the project will provide matching grants to small and micro enterprises that are involved in the purchas-ing of agriculture produce from highland farmers.

Private Sectors and Small Scale Enterprises in-volved in the purchasing of farm produce from the rural areas play a critical role and they will be the game chang-ers in Governments efforts to transform rural areas.

Government has an im-portant role in providing an enabling environment that will ensure that these busi-nesses continue to thrive and facilitating the flow of agriculture produce from ru-ral areas, Minister Seruiratu said.

The Fiji Agricultural Partnership Project (FAPP) will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and will formally start in 2016. This project is a follow up to the US$500,000 Partner-ship in High Value Agricul-ture which was funded by

IFAD and is currently assist-ing smallholder farmers in Nadarivatu to supply off sea-son vegetables to the local market.

Minister Seruiratu said that the Partnership in High Value Agriculture Project funded by IFAD has been a huge success in empower-ing smallholder farmers to be successfully linked to the value chains and this new FAPP project will up-scale the approach to new farmers in Navatusila, Na-vosa and Magodro and at the same time support private sector to be better linked to farmers through the provi-sion of matching grants.

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nu-trition and strengthen resil-ience. Since 1980, IFAD has provided US $100m to the Pacific in grants and low-in-terest loans to projects. IFAD is an international financial institution and a special-ised United Nations agency based in Rome the UNs food and agriculture hub.

Minister Seruiratu Success-fully Negotiates US$6million For Agriculture Development In Fiji The Governor of the Re-

serve Bank of Fiji has en-couraged Fijian residents who have undeclared off-shore assets to take advan-tage of the Amnesty on the Declaration of Offshore As-sets announced by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Au-thority (FRCA) last month.

Governor Whiteside confirmed that such as-

sets will also have to be dis-closed and registered with the Reserve Bank of Fiji and confirmed that the Bank will not be taking legal action for any submissions made dur-ing this period.

Fijian residents, including companies incorporated in Fiji and residents who live abroad, holding offshore bank accounts, foreign in-

vestments and properties without Reserve Bank of Fiji approval are to submit full disclosures of their total holdings before the end of the Amnesty period on 30 June, 2015.

Reserve Bank Announces Support For The Amnesty On DeclarationOf Offshore Assets

q PRESS RELEASE

q RBF

Inia Seruiratu

.The Reserve Bank

of Fiji (RBF) Board at its monthly meeting on 24 February agreed to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 0.5 percent.

In announcing the decision, the Governor and Chairman of the Board, Mr Barry Whi-teside stated that ag-gregate demand con-tinues to expand aided by higher consumption, investment and Govern-ment spending. As a re-sult, credit and imports have risen and put some pressure on the overall

balance of payments po-sition. However, despite the risks, the outlook for the twin objectives of monetary policy remains intact for now.

Inflation was 0.2 per-cent in January but is ex-pected to increase slight-ly from February onwards as the impact of free primary and secondary tuition falls out. Nonethe-less, inflation is forecast to remain at comfortable levels throughout 2015 given the soft global com-modity prices (oil and food) and low trading partner inflation. Foreign

reserves were around $1,806.3 million on 24 February, sufficient to cover 4.5 months of re-tained imports of goods and non-factor services and are projected to re-main adequate through-out 2015.

The Chairman con-cluded that, the Re-serve Bank will continue to monitor international as well as domestic de-velopments and re-align monetary policy stance if needed.

q RBF

Monetary Policy Stance Remains Unchanged



AON TOURISM AWARDS & NADI IN PICTURES

Tourism Fiji is proud to be associated with the AON Fiji Excellence in Tour-ism Awards and wed like to congratulate each of the winners on their wonderful achievements, said Acting CEO, Wayne Deed.

Every year the struc-ture of the awards sets a benchmark for performance across the industry. It is fan-tastic to see the industry and people develop to provide the highest level of customer service worldwide, together with our Fijian hospitatlity.

The Bula Spirit was brought to life as stakehold-ers in Fijis tourism industry gathered for the 18th an-nual AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards in Nadi, to celebrate the outstanding performance of those who have made exceptional con-tributions to tourism in 2014.

Cream of the Tourism Industry Shine at Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards

Winners of the Aon tourism awards group photo with Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama.Photos: MARGARET NAQIRI.

Lance Seeto and the staff of Castaway Island Resort takes the Restaurants Fine Dinning Award.

Mantaray Island Resort wins the award for accomodation budget.

A total of 16 awards, in-cluding the Fijian Host of the Year, the Visionary Award and the Lifetime Achiever, were granted to hardwork-ing individuals and organ-isations who have diligently ensured that our tourism in-dustry exceeded the expec-tations of visitors in 2014.

The awards encom-passed all sectors of the in-dustry, including individual awards for Frontline and Back of House, a dedicated Spa & Wellness category and Services & Support to the industry. The complete list of winners as follows:

q TOURISM FIJI

Joji Veiqaravi receives the award for Fijian Host of the year from Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama .



BUSINESS NOTICE BOARD



LOCAL SPORTS

Historic win for Cricket Fiji on road to the World CupFiji has stunned the re-

gion with a famous five wicket victory over pre-tournament favourites PNG on the first day of competition at the 2015 Pepsi ICC East Asia-Pacif-ic Under 19 Trophy. The win puts Fiji in the box seat to qualify for the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup.

Amazingly this will be the first time PNG have lost in the U19s format in the history of the tourna-ment, and the first time any Fijian side has beat-en a PNG side in cricket since 2001.

PNG won the toss and batted against Fiji but immediately found themselves under pres-sure thanks to a blistering opening spell from Sosi-ceni Weleilakeba who claimed his sides first three wickets.

Struggling at 3-33 Sere Sam calmed proceed-

ings down for PNG with a well-made 49. However when he was dismissed caught behind after a bril-liant diving catch from Saimoni Tuitoga, PNG limped to all out for 133 off 36.5 overs.

Fiji began the chase with a defensive mind-set as they tried to see out the PNG opening bowlers. However once the first wicket fell to a screamer of a catch in the slips from Vagi Guba, it triggered a mini collapse and Fiji went to lunch at 3-25 off 11 overs.

However the curry on offer at lunch clearly had a positive effect on Fiji and in particular Peni Volavola who smashed 73 off 84 to set up one of the greatest wins in re-cent memory for Fiji. In the end Fiji passed PNGs total in the 32nd over with five wickets in hand.

It feels so great to beat

Gadolo Names Vodafone Fiji U20 Team to Canberra

q CRICKET FIJI

a team like PNG, said Sosiceni Weleilakeba. I really want to thank all of my teammates for how they bowled and batted to get this win.

Fiji coach Shane Ju-

gensen was also buzzing after his sides win.

To be honest we have had a pretty average preparation with warm up games in New Zea-land rained out over the

last week, he said. But to sit here and watch the boys play like that gives me a lot of pride. How-ever the other match was close to so anyone can still qualify, we need to

The Fiji U19 cricket team in action during training session. Photo: SUPPLIED.

remained focused for our next two games against Samoa and Vanuatu.

Vodafone Fiji under 20 Coach, Viliame Gadolo has named the team for the 2015 Australian U20 National Championship in Canberra later this month.

The Championship in-volves three teams from Australia with Tonga and Fiji.

Following the trials last week, Gadolo has a fair idea of which areas he needs to work on.

Selection was based on the boys fitness levels firstly and skills that were assessed on the trials on Thursday this is because of the short time frame to prepare the team for Can-berra Gadolo said.

Areas we need to work on are our team combinations, set plays and phase plays impor-tant to note that tackle area and breakdown work is an area of em-phasis.

Gadolo will be as-sisted by former Flying Fijian team mates Kele Leawere while Mosese Rauluni will assist with the backline. Gadolo says that they are looking forward to the challenge with one ultimate goal.

Ive worked with Kele and Mojee Rauluni as players for many years and there havent been any problems so far. They know the expecta-tions and demands of International Rugby espe-cially with Fijian players. I believe we can use our experiences as players in a coaching context so should be very interest-ing to look forward to the challenge in front of us as coaches.

The ultimate goal is to get Fiji back in the JWC tournament and the only way we can do that is by winning the World Rugby Junior World Trophy. It is tough but a possible goal to achieve.

We have to make sure our phases of preparation are well planned. We are at selection phase and we have to make sure that the right people are selected to play and have that edge to win the tour-nament. Canberra is that first phase where we can have a measure of the standards that the team is at and where we want to be in May.

For those that did not get selected for the 2015

Australian U20 Champi-onship, Gadolo had this to say to them.

To players that did not make the cut in the 30 that we have picked, the door to Portugal has not closed. You still have an opportunity to be part of the team. We will have another Test on June 3rd and you will be given that opportunity if you have what it takes to represent your country. The HPU Centers will be closely

monitoring your condi-tioning for the weeks that the team is preparing for Canberra.

The 2015 Australian U20 Championship kicks off on 19 March.

Vodafone Fiji U20 Team

Samuela Vunaki (Prop), Maikeli Sivo (Hooker), Viliame Ra-vouvou (Prop), Navi-talai Masitabua (Prop/Hooker), Asaeli Sorovaki

(Prop), Timoci Bulitavu (Hooker), Lekima Vuda (Locks), Jone Sevuya (Locks/Flanker), Simione Naiduki (Flanker), Vasi-kali Mudu (Flanker), Se-rupepeli Momo (No.8), Peter Wong (No.8/Flank-er), Kinivuai Domolailai (Flanker), Penioni Narisia (Flanker), Patrick Joseph Beramaisuva (Full Back/Wing), Waisea Daroko (Half Back), Ilami Lotawa (Half Back), Seremaia Turagabeci (1st/2nd/Full

Back), Sela Toga (1st Five), Aminiasi Radrodro (2nd/Centre), Pat Tuidraki (Centre/Wing/2nd), Fil-ipo Daugunu (Fullback/Wing), Noa Nadruku (Centre/Wing), Manoa Nakolilevu (Centre/Wing), Seveci Nakanai-lagi (Centre/Wing), Isoa Tawakevou (Lock), Pece-li Nacebe (1st Five), Ratu Cagilaba Naborisi (Lock), Leoni Nawai (Half Back)

q FRU

The Fiji U20 rugby team performing Cibi in one of the test matches. Photo: SUPPLIED.



LOCAL SPORTS

Jacks Renews Sponsorhip With Nadi Soccer Team

New Sporting Fields Presented In Central Division

Renewing its sponsor-ship with the Nadi Soccer team, Jacks of Fiji signed an agreement for a spon-sorship worth $35,000.00 on Wednesday February 25.

Jacks of Fiji have been very kind, they came in when we needed them, we signed an agreement with them and they have given us $25,000 in cash along with sporting gear, said Nadi Soccer team President Navneed Gon-dar.

The sponsorship agree-ment is set to run for this season and is a testament of the Nadi Football Asso-ciations partnership with Jacks of Fiji in terms of tapping into local talents and assisting in devel-oping local soccer stan-dards. ]

Jacks is very excited about this partnership and we look forward to building the grassroot soccer in Nadi .The spon-sorship worth is about $35,000 and we have given $25,000 in cash and the remaining in kind includes merchandise

and other sporting gear to help the team, said Jacks Retail Ltd Chief Executive officer Bhavin

Khatri.Soccer fanatics will

also be able to show their support for the team as

quality tees, polos, vests, caps and flags will soon be at available Jacks of Fiji stores.

From Left: NadI Soccer team Vice Presiden

Documents

The Jet Volume 7 Number 4