Page 6 - IB JAN 2017

Whispers

Telecom expansion Investors contest ly its three greatest funders have voted
TAKING over the ocean of the Pacific IT now seems like the superannuation against assistance for the struggling
seems to be the goal of Fiji’s mega tele- fund is not the only entity with loads of college. They are unhappy that despite
communication company with reports cash to invest these days. At least that calling for financial reforms, the board
that it hass got Vanuatu under the radar, seems to be the story coming out of has done little, if anything, to stop the
after taking over telecom business in Fiji’s mecca of tourism with reports that misuse of funds by the administration.
Kiribati, with American Samoa, Cook a local consortium won the bid to buy They are also concerned at the over-
Islands and Samoa in the bag, almost, in an exclusive resort on the west coast spending during anniversary celebra-
addition to home base Fiji of course. ATH of Fiji’s main island. Comprising a land tions and other cultural events as well
currently owns Telecom Fiji, provider of developer and a dealer in second-hand as huge travel expenses for officials.
land line services in Fiji, as well as its vehicles, the two reportedly out-bid Only time will tell whether other
very successful mobile company, Voda- Fiji’s national provident fund to win the funders will line up and refuse to help
fone. It has also bought the Cable and right to purchase the 5-star resort for financially until real measures are taken
Wireless of UK’s shares in Fiji’s interna- FJ$300m, about US$150m. The waiting to clean up accounts.
tional telecom company, FINTEL. While game is nearing its end now that the suc-
its offers to buy out mobile operations in cessful bidders have been told to ‘show t
PNG and Solomons were rebuffed, ATH me the money’! Speculations are also rife
is reportedly getting some support to buy on the sources of the winning bid’s cash Disaffected volunteer
Telecom of Vanuatu’s mobile operations. given that either lacked any experience AND what of the British volunteer
ATH is a Fiji Government-owned com- in hotel ownership or management. who took a regional organisation to
pany with majority shareholding by the the national corruption watchdog over
country’s superannuation fund, FNPF. complaints that she had not been paid
outstanding dues for working for a third
party?
Apparently the regional organisation
had received the money on the volun-
teers’ behalf and held it awaiting noti-
fication on how to disburse the funds.
The volunteer wanted to move the
t money off-shore but refused to use her
own account or pay finance charges.
Sogavare adviser In an attempt to force the regional
THE talk on the streets of Honiara is organisation to pick up the charges,
t who is going to take up the influential she made a complaint to the corruption
position of top adviser in the office of watchdog.
COP 23 leadership the prime minister. That job is now The matter was deemed to be a
WITH Fiji’s leader taking over the vacant after the incumbent went on personal issue and palmed off to the
chairmanship of COP23, the UN agency pre-retirement leave. Rumours suggest revenue department who duly taxed
charged with overseeing the imple- a former foreign affairs official who the amount and allowed it out of the
mentation of the new world treaty on went onto take up senior positions in at country.
climate change, speculations are rife that lest two regional organisations is gun-
its nominee for the position of Director ning for the job. He apparently turned t
General of MSG - the Melanesian Spear- down a diplomatic job, opting instead
head Group, currently based in Port Vila, to wait for the top job as chief adviser Money matters
Vanuatu, will be approached to head the to Prime Miniter Manasseh Sogavare. WITH the withdrawal of the Regional
COP23 Secretariat that Frank Bainima- Meanwhile the potential contender still Assistance Mission to the Solomon Is-
rama plans to set up keeps a house in Suva, Fiji, although lands there has been a huge number of
in Suva, Fiji to as- the rumour says that the house is for vehicles transferred to the local police.
sist him in his new family members and not because he’s Already there have been a number
role. Amena Yauvoli after work in Fijji. of accidents with the transferred trucks
took up the DG job and there is concern there will be more
late last year, but t crashes if the trend is not arrested
given his role as through the imposition of tough internal
chair of a com- Bailout concerns policies.
mittee of COP21 SO what about the The other issue is that the police do
in Paris that led to the landmark regional educational not have the funds to pay for the addi-
decision on a global agreement on institution which has tional fuel and repair bills brought about
reductions of carbon emission, the turned to its member by the extra trucks.
talk in Suva is that there is no one organisations to ask for
else more capable of leading a financial bail-out for t
the Suva headquaters of the third year in a
COP 23. row? Poverty and sex
t Apparent- THERE’S shock in Tonga over the fact
that 100 homosexuals and prostitutes

6 Islands Business, October 2016