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Fiji Fiji

Fiji Rabuka 1987 Hon. Viliame Gavoka Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa

Gavoka – father-in-law to Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed- himself for the nation.
Khaiyum and arguably Fiji’s most divisive citizen – is relatively It’s all a show – of course – but that has not mattered to
unknown in Fijian politics. Fijian voters in the last three elections.
A successful and well-liked hotel manager, he is the surro- Current trends show that iTaukei remain concerned about
gate candidate for Ro Teimumu, paramount chief of Burebasa- the cost of living, unemployment, poor returns on land rental
ga, one of Fiji’s three indigenous confederacies. and neglect of their cultural institutions.
Ro Teimumu’s brittle relationship with Rabuka has roots With unemployment expected to increase over the next 18
in his election by Fiji’s chiefs to head the SVT Party in 1990, months and the Fiji National Provident Fund under extreme
ahead of her late older sister, Ro Lady Lala Mara. pressure to rescue the nation from the government’s heavy
Rabuka – a commoner – defeated two sisters on separate spending, a perfect storm is brewing.
occasions and that is unlikely to be forgotten. Rabuka rode on a wave of sympathetic support in 2018 to
To cut his losses, Rabuka has chosen in true military fashion bring SODELPA within a hair’s breadth of an election victory.
to attempt to seize the high ground. In doing so he will stand It appears the general is generating another wave which he
out as the person above the fray who is willing to sacrifice hopes will propel him to power.

PNG

Continued from page 21: PNG Budget 200 million in 2020.
“Businesses like certainty. For example, we are unsure who
Porgera gold mine to reopen by July next year. the various ministers are because there have been various
“The earlier it is opened, the better for business generally,” changes lately,” Fiocco also told The National.
said Fiocco. “We don’t know whether some of these appointments will
But he said no one was sure when the Papua LNG project be temporary or new ministers will be appointed and so on.
and Wafi Golpu mines would commence. “All these uncertainties do not give confidence to the busi-
His concerns have been reinforced by Gerea Aopi, the Presi- ness community.”
dent of the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum.
He told a conference in Port Moresby that investments in editor@islandsbusiness.com
the extractive sector have fallen from a billion kina in 2010 to

Islands Business, December 2020 25