• About
  • Be Informed
  • Burness Case: Up-dates-scroll down
  • No Going Back
  • PETITION
  • The Destructiveness of Vanity

Fiji Pensioners

~ GREY POWER

Fiji Pensioners

Monthly Archives: April 2014

New waterproof surface is ‘driest ever’

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Articles & Reports

≈ Leave a comment

New waterproof surface is ‘driest ever’
By James MorganScience reporter, BBC News

leavesUS engineers have created the “most waterproof material ever” – inspired by nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings.

The new “super-hydrophobic” surface could keep clothes dry and stop aircraft engines icing over, they say.

The lotus leaf was thought to be the gold standard for staying dry in nature, but now a team from MIT in Boston say they have surpassed it.

Adding tiny ridges to a silicon surface made water bounce off it 40% faster than the previous “limit”.

Read the full story at the following link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25004942

Advertisement

The VAT Discussion

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Articles & Reports

≈ 2 Comments

Biman PrasadThe government will lose more than $256 million in revenue in a year if Value Added Tax is reduced from 15 percent to 10 percent.
National Federation Party Leader, Doctor Biman Prasad recently publicly stated in its Annual General Meeting that NFP will reduce VAT on all goods and services if it forms the next government after the September 17th general election.
Based on the 2014 National Budget forecast, it has been established that VAT is the largest revenue earner for government. 
For this year, VAT revenue is projected at $777 million, around $97 million higher than last year.
Calculations reveal that $256 million in VAT revenue will be lost by government if NFP forms the next government and makes this change.
Doctor Biman Prasad was asked where the revenue of more than $256 million will be brought in if it is lost through VAT or what types of cutbacks will be done.
Doctor Prasad said he is an economist and it can be done.         
He only said that NFP will look at other taxes amongst other issues but he refused to give full details. 
VFB
We pensioners remember prior to Frank taking control of government, that Qarase was going to increase VAT from 12.5% to 15% 8 years ago, Frank said it would not be increased. Eventually the high cost of government plus the undisclosed salaries paid to Frank and his Minister for Most Things made it necessary to increase VAT to 15%.
BO2
On the matter of salaries President Barak Obama receives an annual salary of US$400,000 and the USA has a population of 314,000,000 that is 314 Million. We pensioners estimate that pro rata Frank and his Minister for Most Things pay themselves a total salary far in excess of that paid to Barak Obama. Of course given that the Minister for Most Things has disbanded the Government Accounts Committee we taxpayers may never know the real truth.
The question we Pensioners and others need to ask “Is Dr. Biman Prasad a competent, transparent and honest person, and will he, unlike the present administration, be completely transparent in all matters of government.” 

 

Fantastic Fiji Airways

12 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Articles & Reports

≈ 4 Comments

FAAir Pacific Group which is operating as Fiji Airways has reported an after tax profit of $14.5 million for the nine month period ended 31st December 2013 compared to $17.8 million from the preceding 12 month period.

The nine month performance was driven by an increase in passenger numbers by 2.5 percent with an additional revenue of 1 percent. 

Chairman Nalin Patel said 2013 was a major transition year for Fiji Airways. 

He said they rebranded to Fiji Airways and changed over from B747 aircrafts to A330 wide-body aircrafts.

Patel said this transition alone accounted for more than $14 million one-time transition expenses in the financial year of 2013.

He also revealed that their finance costs increased by $33.6 million as new aircrafts were added to the Fiji Airways fleet.

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Stefan Pichler said the recently approved five year master plan sets the foundation for sustainable and profitable growth between now and the end of 2017.

Pichler said they will make sure that their staff, stakeholders and customers will all benefit from the success of Fiji Airways. 

He also personally thanked every single one of their 1,009 team members as Fiji Airways looks forward to exciting times.

Wonderful news, can the Fiji Pensioners please have their pension money back now Frank ?

Image

Wise words

10 Thursday Apr 2014

destined

Posted by fijipensioners | Filed under Quotations

≈ 1 Comment

Image

Be Warned

07 Monday Apr 2014

Politics

Posted by fijipensioners | Filed under Daily Humour

≈ 1 Comment

life isn’t fair, but it’s good!!

05 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Letters

≈ Leave a comment

bill crosbyI’m 83.  Except for brief period in the 50s when I was doing my National Service, I’ve worked hard since I was 17.  Except for some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn’t call in sick in nearly 40 years. 

I made a reasonable salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am.  Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I’m tired.  Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic.  I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family “honour”; of Muslims rioting over some slight offence;

of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren’t “believers”; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for “adultery”; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an and Shari’a law tells them to.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do.  Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight It off?

I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. 

I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I’m really tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions.  I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

I’m also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20s be-deck themselves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I’m damn tired.  But I’m also glad to be 83.  Because, mostly, I’m not going to have to see the world these people are making.  I’m just sorry for my granddaughter and their children.  Thank God I’m on the way out and not on the way in.

There is no way this will be widely publicised, unless each of us sends it on!  This is your chance to make a difference.

If you don’t forward this you are part of the problem”.

Strong but True Words

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Letters

≈ Leave a comment

La Passion

Editor, let’s be quite clear about this new Party; ‘Fiji First’ is the name of the political party that was registered under the 1997 Constitution and has 20 or so founding members. The leader of the Party is Anit Singh.

The Party was founded as a result of human rights violations inflicted upon the people of Muaniweni in 2000 after Speight’s takeover of government. Even the police and military failed the Muaniweni people by refusing to protect them. Instead they were rescued and protected at the Sanatan Dharam school in Lautoka by a group of outraged Fiji people calling themselves the ‘Fiji Human Rights Group’ ( and not to be confused with ‘Fiji Human Rights Group NZ Inc’ which was a NZ off-shoot much later for the purpose of raising funds).

Anyone searching the Fiji media archives on the relevant dates (June-August 2000) will know who these individuals, taking up a protective champion role for the Muaniweni people, were. The Muaniweni people, led by the Fiji Human Rights Group and the Fiji Human Rights Commission in June 2000, took their human rights violations to court under the name of ‘Chandrika Prasad v the Republic of Fiji’ and won it in the High Court and in 2001 in the Court of Appeal. This case brought the 1997 Constitution back and restored it to the people of Fiji.

Eventually this process led to the founding of the ‘Fiji First Party’ with two of the original Fiji Human Rights Group in it as founding members.

Bainimarama has taken advantage of the fact that the leader of the Fiji First Party, Anit Singh, chose not to engage in the up-coming election under dubious decrees and a Constitution whose legitimacy is in question. The fact that Bainimarama took (Fiji First would say ‘stole’) the Fiji First name belonging to a marginalised human rights victim group in Muaniweni is a reprehensible and disgusting act, similar to his government breaching the contractual rights of FNPF pensioners.

But can we expect anything else from such a person who surrounds himself with the incompetent and vindictive legal advisers he has? Shame on Bainimarama for not recognising that the lack of integrity of his advisers now reflects badly on him. People expected such great things from him in 2007.

Will Your Vote be Trashed ?

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by fijipensioners in Articles & Reports

≈ 2 Comments

CalcThere are simply not enough voters in Fiji with it’s 50 seat parliament to justify the 5% threshold ruling.

It is a joke, some would say a sick joke.

An article by Prof. Wadan Narsey at the following link explains it very simply and in detail. Aspiring Independent candidates and small parties would be well advised to study it prior to formulating a campaigning plan.

http://narseyonfiji.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/g-election-issues-bulletin-7-the-open-list-electoral-system.pdf
grandpa

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • September 2022
  • June 2022
  • February 2021
  • August 2020
  • February 2020
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • October 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • November 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011

Categories

  • Articles & Reports
    • Link Information
  • Daily Humour
  • Health Hints
  • Letters
    • Grey Power Editor
    • Letters to FNPF
    • Unpublished Letters
  • OBITUARIES
  • Polls & Surveys
  • Press Releases
  • Quotations
    • Remembrance
  • Recipes

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Fiji Pensioners
    • Join 34 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Fiji Pensioners
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...