The Jet Volume 7 Number 1

JANUARY 2015.
ISSUE 60
www.thejetnewspaper.com
50 CENTS
Linked-in
Fiji Airways Receives Second ATR 72-600 for Fiji Link
The new Fiji Links second ATR 72-600 touches down at Nadi International Airport.
INSET: Captains Tolja Henningsen and Maline Skorstesgard who brought the aircraft from Toulouse France. Photos: MUNAUWAR KHAN.
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
Fiji Airways welcomed home
its latest ATR72-600 aircraft for its
domestic subsidiary Fiji Link on
Friday, December 23, 2014.
The new aircraft arrived at the
Fiji Airways Hangar in Nadi after a long journey from Toulouse,
France.
Fiji Link staff members were
present at the Hangar to greet the
new aircraft which was followed
by the Vakamamaca (welcome) ceremony.

With the planned acquisition
announced by Fiji Airways in January last year, it will contribute to
the fulfilment of the airlines strategic growth and five-year Master
Plan.
The Master Plan is designed to
grow Fiji Airways capacity in the
Pacific islands region by 86.6%.
The new 600 series aircraft is
expected to offer greater passenger capacity and connectivity in
the region as it is equipped with

the latest in aviation safety and
technology, as well as the awardwinning ergonomic cabin design
and functionality.
Fiji Airways Managing Director
and CEO Stefan Pichler said the
excitement always builds stronger
as they welcome new members in
their aircraft family.
These are exciting times for
us. The ATR 72-600 will help bring
about enhanced connectivity in
our regional network through the
development of routes.
It will also complement our
current regional schedules operated by the 72-600, like Apia (Samoa)
and Port Vila (Vanuatu) flights.
ATR72-600 is on lease from Ireland-based Nordic Aviation Capital
(NAC).
The aircraft was officially handed over to Fiji Link General Manager Shaenaz Voss in Toulouse,
France before it made way to its
new home in Fiji.
www.epapergallery.com/thejet
Fiji - the way the world should be

FROM THE DESK
Police Advise Parents to Prioritize
Safety of Children
The Fiji police force is

urging parents and guardians to be cautious of their
childrens whereabouts due
to recent reports of sexual
abuse.
Children are vulnerable
especially in the presence
of strangers which is why
we cannot stress enough
the importance of keeping
a close eye on them at all
times, said Assistant Commissioner of Police and
Chief of Investigations Intelligence Henry Brown.
You cannot afford to
be complacent about their

safety and should be mindful of who they are with and
what they are doing.
ACP Brown highlighted
his concern about certain
cases whereby children
were often ignored even
after relaying the matter to
their parents or a guardian
which leaves them in a vulnerable state.
Its worrying when a
child is not taken seriously
by those who are supposed
to be protecting their wellbeing and interests. If they
cant rely on us then who
else can they turn to in their
time of need, ACP Brown
added.
He emphasized on the
crucialilty of parents and
guardians placing the protection of their children
above all other aspects.
q
SALOTE QALUBAU
THE JET is Fijis first community newspaper published bi-monthly

by YOURSPACE LIMITED from Nadi - the tourism capital of Fiji.
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
PRODUCTION
NEWS
ADVERTISING

OFFICE PHONES
EMAIL

WEBSITE
: SAMUEL SHANKAR
: ANUSHIL KUMAR
: MUNAUWAR KHAN
: SALOTE QALUBAU
: MARGARET NAQIRI
: ARON GOUNDAR
: 6707075 / 6750443
: thejetnewspaper@gmail.com
: sam@media.com.fj
: www.thejetnewspaper.com
Cell: 9966115
Cell: 9203847
Cell: 9222456
Cell: 7147179
Cell: 9360047
Cell: 9203790
PRINTED BY DAVUI PRINTERY LIMITED, 12 BAKA PLACE, LAUCALA BEACH ESTATE, SUVA
Phone: (679) 3394755. LAYOUT BY MUNAUWAR KHAN
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
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Life Cinema Brings Smiles to

People of Nadi
By PATRICK LAL and
SALOTE QALUBAU
Holding a soft opening for

the people of Nadi, the newly opened life cinema based
in Martintar Nadi opened its
doors for business on Friday,
December 7, 2014.
Anyone is welcome to
come in, the foyer is set up
so that anyone can come
in and enjoy the space. Its
20 to 50 metres long with
big seats, this is here for the
people of Nadi to enjoy,
said Life Cinemas General
Manager, Hamish McGuire.
The cinema has a total of four theatres and for
frequent movie goers, the
price range for a normal
mainstream ticket is $8.00,
3D movies are also $8.00
with the added cost of $2.00
for the 3D glasses which the
general public will be allowed to take home.
V.I.P seats, which were
The new Life Cinema in Nadi which has already started its operation.
Photo: SALOTE QALUBAU.
under construction during
the soft opening ceremony,
cost $20.00, while Dmax theatre prices costs $10.00.
The kitchen and the bar
area are behind time and
will come up very soon,and
were pretty much having sessions from 10am
through till 9.30pm and then
we will expand or move our
sessions accordingly going
from our first figures and

analysis that we will do.
The response from the
people of Nadi has been
amazing I havent seen one
person not take a photo.
Our first movie was
Night at the museum 3 and
then they stagger through
the rest of the day. The
first session of PK was also
screened on the day of this
soft opening and its been a

successful start.
The welcoming atmosphere, new style of the cinemas food emporium and
comfortable seats provide
an atmosphere of ease to
avoid congestion within the
foyer while waiting for movie screenings.
New Commissioner Ready

to Take on Western Challenge
The newly appointed
Commissioner for the Western Division, Manasa Tagicakibau, will strengthen the
work carried out by his predecessors to develop the division.
Commissioner
Tagicakibau said he is prepared
to undertake governments
vision of improving service
delivery and to improve the
lives of ordinary Fijians living
in the division.
I am ready for the challenge and am looking for-
ward to continuing the level

of service delivery as my
predecessors Commander
Joeli Cawaki and Luke Moroivalu, he said.
They have certainly set
the bar and which I hope
to continue and emulate to
ensure that the people of
the western division contribute positively towards their
families, community and the
nation.
He added the western division played an important
role in Fijis socio-economic
development; in particular
the role played by the tourism and sugar industry.
The western division is
a very critical component
of the Fijian economy as the
hub of economic activities
and that is why implementation of government policies and programmes are
equally important, Mr Tagicakibau said.
I would also like to reaffirm to the communities
in the four provinces of
governments commitment
THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Newly appointed Commissioner Western Lt. Col Manasa Tagicakibau during the
handing over ceremony by former Acting Commissioner Mr Luke Moroivalu. Photo:
SUPPLIED
towards better living standards and infrastructure.
My former post as Director NDMO has equipped me
to take on the challenges
and knowing that the division is a disaster prone one, I

am ready to part knowledge
on the field in the western
division.
Mr Tagicakibau started with his new role on

Wednesday, January 7.
q DEPTFO
ADVERTISEMENT
PRIME MINISTERS NEW YEARS ADDRESS
Rear Admiral J. V. Bainimarama, CF(Mil), OSt.J, MSD, jssc, psc

Hon. Prime Minister and Minister for iTaukei Affairs and Sugar Industry
PRIME MINISTERS NEW YEARS ADDRESS 2015
My Fellow Fijians,
Bula vinaka and a very
Happy New Year to you all.
Once again, another year
is upon us. And as we move
into 2015, we can all reflect
on the achievements of the
past year and our hopes for
the future both for ourselves and our families and
our beloved nation.
No Fijian can doubt the
importance of 2014 by any
standards, a monumental
year in our history.
It was the year in which
we embarked on our new

and true democracy, a year
in which Fijians voted overwhelmingly for a new beginning.
In our landmark election
on 17 September, we decisively turned our backs as a
nation on the divisions of the
past and opted instead for
an inclusive future of hope
and great promise.
By embracing a common
and equal citizenry and declaring every citizen a Fijian,
the Fijian people rejected
the voices of disunity among

us and set us on a new path.
In the process, we shattered many of the assumptions about politics in Fiji
that it would always be
race-based and favour the
elite. We drew a line under the politics of fear and
showed we were no longer
prepared to be manipulated.
We voted for unity, for equal
opportunity for every Fijian
no matter who we are or
where we come from. And
in doing so, we have finally
given ourselves a shot at
true nationhood. One Fiji
with freedom and justice for
all.
It was a genuine turning
point in our nations fortunes
and we are already reaping
the benefits as the rest of
the world recognises our remarkable achievement.
It is a wonderful privilege
for me to have been given
your confidence and trust
to take us forward. But this
has been your victory - a victory of common sense and
decency and a vote of confidence in a better future for
ourselves and generations of
Fijians to come.
My fellow citizens, the
challenge now is to capitalize on the events of the past
few months. To build on our
education revolution. To
build on the improvements
in our infrastructure such as
roads, electricity and water.
To build on the advantage

my Government has created
of a vastly improved economy growing by more than
four per cent a year.
There is still much to be
done to catch up as a nation on the lost years. The
years we squandered arguing about who deserved
more when we should have
been building a better future
for everyone. The years in
which selfish elites put their
own interests above the
common good and ordinary
Fijians were deprived of
some of the necessities and
opportunities of life.
In 2014, we put those
years behind us. And in the
coming year, we are spending more than 3 billion dollars to move our nation forward, around a third of that
improving our infrastructure.
To the many thousands
of Fijians affected by water
cuts in recent times, I want
to say this: For 50 years,
successive
governments
neglected to maintain or replace our pipes. But on the
back of our growing economy, I am determined to
finally fix the problem once
and for all. The same goes
for our roads and bridges
and our transport links with
maritime
communities,
who didnt see a new ship
for nearly 40 years until we
came along.
And so my fellow Fiji-
ans.
The coming year will be
about putting the proper
structures in place to carry
us into the future. The proper structures in our economy to maintain the growth
we are now experiencing;
the proper infrastructure to
keep trade flowing and improve our export earnings;
the proper restructuring of
the Civil Service to make it
more efficient and improve
its ability to serve our needs.
All this is to fulfill our vision of Fiji as a truly modern
nation- state in which a population that is better educated can get jobs that are better paid and more satisfying;
in which Fijian-made goods
become a byword for quality
the world over; in which Fiji
cements its place as a preeminent Pacific Island nation and a respected voice
in the world.
We were greatly blessed
in 2014 when 45 of our UN
peacekeepers were freed after two weeks in captivity in
Syria. Their courage and fortitude impressed us all and
impressed the world. And it
underlined our importance
to the global community a small Pacific Island state
able and willing to serve in
troubled parts of the world
and doing so with courage
and distinction.
My fellow Fijians,
All in all, 2014 was a mag-
nificent year for Fiji. As we

turn our eyes to 2015, I am
personally convinced that
greatness lies over the horizon. And we have our sights
set as a Government on taking us there.
It is traditionally a time
for resolutions so today let
us make some together as a
nation.
Let us resolve to remain
united. Let us be patriotic to love our nation and put
its interests above our own.
And let us love and care for
each other, and especially
those among us who are
less fortunate.
As our economy improves, it is they who deserve more of our national
resources. And Im proud
that in our spending priorities for the year ahead, so
many are aimed at poverty
alleviation and creating sustained livelihoods.
As the old year gives way
to the new, let us, above
all, thank God for our many
blessings and rededicate
ourselves to the task of
building a better Fiji.
Wherever you are on this
New Years Day, I wish you
all a very happy and prosperous 2015.
Vinaka vakalevu.
Thank you.
PM Makes Surprise
Visit to Senior
Lautoka Residents
Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama paid a surprise visit to senior residents
and staff at the Golden Age
Home in Lautoka on Saturday, January 3.
Accompanied by his family, the head of the Fijian
government took time to
meet with the senior citizens
living at the nursing home in
Natabua, Lautoka.
For the homes supervisor, Ms Tara Naresh, surprise
visit by the Prime Minister
was a gesture that was appreciated by everyone, particularly for the residents at
the home.
It was really nice of the
Prime Minister to come and
see us; many of these residents dont have a family
and their faces lit up when
they saw him coming, Ms
Naresh said.
Ms Naresh also requested
the Prime Minister to look

into assisting them with repair works at the home including a new walkway to
shelter the residents.
The Prime Minister communicated this request to
the Divisional Commissioner Western Manasa
Tagicakibau to carry out inspection at the home and to
facilitate repair works.
The Golden Age Home
which currently looks after
more than 40 senior citizens, was the former site of
the Natabua Primary School
in the 1960s.
Prime Minister Bainimarama attended the same
primary school before it was
relocated.
q DEPTFO
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama with his family and the residents and staff at the Golden Age Home in Lautoka. Photo:
DEPTFO.
Increase in the Price

of Locally Produced
Exercise Books
An in-house survey of exercise books conducted by
the Consumer Council of Fiji
clearly shows an increase
in the price of some locallyproduced exercise books.
Just like the Council, parents also expected the price
of locally produced exercise
books to remain same or reduced as a result of competition.
This years survey was
carried out in 12 retail outlets
which looked at the prices of
some of the most commonly
purchased brands and book
types. The survey found that
of 85 types of exercise books
surveyed, more than 30%
(26 types) have had price increases compared to prices
gathered in the same period
in 2014 and immediately
after the budget announcement in November 2014. A
total of 18 books (21.2%)
dropped in price, while 35
books had no price change
from 2014.
The Council is disappointed that some retailers
had increased the prices on
some locally produced exercise books such as Oxford
and Ivola, which are widely
available in the marketplace.
After the survey, the
Council contacted the major exercise book manufacturers who confirmed that
they had not increased the
wholesale price of the locally produced books.

The Government had introduced 32 per cent duty
on imported exercise books
as announced in the 2015
national budget, assuring
that this would not result in
increase in prices of locally
made exercise books.
The Council contacted
the retailers who were selling locally produced exercise books at a higher price
to understand the rationale
behind this increase. One
retailer blamed his staff for
putting wrong price tag on
the exercise books while
another retailer gave excuse that they had dropped
the price of text books and
to recover this cost, they increased the price of exercise
books.
With parents rushing
to round-off their back to
school shopping, the Council is once again calling on
the families to compare the
prices of the items in particular the exercise books before spending their money
Parents are also advised
to watch out for quality
when buying school items
such as shoes, bags, stationary and exercise books.
Ms. Premila Kumar
CEO Consumer Council of

Fiji
LOCAL NEWS
Extension of the Rent Freeze Order

The Minister for Industry,
Trade and Tourism Hon. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya has extended the freeze on residential
rents for another year, until
December 31, 2015, based
on the advice received from
the Fiji Commerce Commission.
The current freeze was
due to come to an end on 31
December 2014, however,
keeping in mind the need
to maintain a certain level of
control to ensure fair treatment of tenants, the Ministry
has decided to extend the
Commerce (Rent Increase
Restriction and Ground
Rent) Order for another
year, Minister Koya said.

In accordance with the
Order, a person must not
raise the rent for residential
tenancies above the level
that was applicable to the
same premises as at 31 December 2014.
The Minister explained
that, traditionally, rent control was imposed to counter
inflation and regularise an
imperfect housing market,
however, now it also serves
the broader purpose of ensuring protection for all Fijian consumers.
Amongst other initiatives
announced in the 2015 Budget, by further extending the
rent freeze, the Fijian Government will ensure that it is

fulfilling its obligation of providing access to adequate
housing at reasonable cost,
the Minister said.
However, the Government also has an obligation to ensure that both the
landlord and tenant are protected.
Therefore, next year, the
Ministry, the Fiji Commerce
Commission and the Solicitor Generals Office will
work towards developing
a Residential Tenancy Law
that will provide appropriate
level of protection to tenants
and also ensure that the in-
terests of landlords are protected.

He also said the legislation will be aimed at protecting the rights of both the
landlord and tenant, as well
as ensuring fair treatment
and fair play in the market.
In the meantime, landlords are encouraged to
continue to register with
the Fiji Commerce Commission and to maintain
proper records, as per the
requirements of the Commission. These records and
documents include Letting
Agreements and receipts.
q DEPTFO
Government Officials Pay Tribute to the

Late Manasa Vaniqi at Funeral Service
The former permanent
secretary for the Ministry of
Sugar Industry, the Late Manasa Vaniqi, was laid to rest
at the Enamanu cemetery in
Nadi after a church service
at the Namaka Methodist
Church on Friday, January 9.
The funeral was attended
by His Excellency the President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau,
Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe
Bainimarama, cabinet ministers senior military officials and those from the
sugar industry.
Director Sugar Villiame
Gucake and Commander of
the Fiji Military Forces Mo-
sese Tikoitoga were among

those who delivered eulogies on behalf of the military and the sugar ministry
where he served.
Mr Vaniqis contributions
to the sugar industry at a
time when the industry was
at its lowest and immensely
contributed towards bringing the industry back on its
feet, Mr Gucake said.
He (Mr Vaniqi) always
led from the front and also
brought all the sugar industry stakeholders together
achieving success for an
industry that has continued
to grow from the last three
years.
Vaniqi was best described as being resilient
and tenacious when it came
to duty but was humble and
modest in his interpersonal
relations.
Lt. Col Vaniqi was a
man who has served in the
military in various roles and
excelled in all the duties assigned to him. Apart from
being a man of humour, his
advises have always been
noted as he continued to
mentor those younger than
him, Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander
Brigadier General Mosese
Tikoitoga said.
The 62-year-old had an
illustrious career in the civil
service rising through the
ranks to Permanent Secretary in 2007.
Fiji Sugar Corporation
executive chairman Abdul
Khan said Mr Vaniqi would
be missed by the industry
and his contributions could
not be measured.
The Late Manasa Vaniqi
was also on the board of the
Fiji Development Bank, the
Sugar Research Institute of
Fiji and was Chairman of the
Sugar Cane Growers Fund.
q DEPTFO
LOCAL NEWS
Text Books Provided for Students

By ANUSHIL KUMAR
The burden of buying
school text books for the
year 2015 will be eased for
parents.
This was conveyed after
the Ministry of Education
confirmed all the text books
will be provided by its parent body which is in the process of printing materials for
classes and subjects.
All these materials will
be transported to all the
Schools in Fiji once the printing is completed.
The Schools, for the
time-being, can use the materials that they have in their
possession from last year.
Heads of Schools have
been informed by the Ministry not to provide a text book
list to any students/parents
and the teachers have been
asked to use the same materials from last year until full
set of materials are provided
by the Ministry.
Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy made these
announcements to his senior staff earlier this month.
Parents and guardians
are to be relieved of buying
prescribed text books by the
Ministry of Education.
All students in the primary and secondary schools
will be provided with a set
of the prescribed text book
by March of this year at the
latest.
Teachers are to ensure
that each student have access to all prescribed text
book for their relevant subject.
Soft copies of the full set
of materials, which will be
available for download on
Ministrys home page (online), will also be provided
to the schools which the students can make copies for
their use if they have access
to computers at home.
Change in FNU Vice Chancellorship

The Hon. Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts and
Chairman of the Fiji National
University Council, Dr Mahendra Reddy announced
the change in leadership at
the Fiji National University.
I wish to announce today (December 29) that the
Council in its last meeting
held last week has agreed to
a change in the Vice Chancellorship of the Fiji National
University, Dr Reddy said.
Following discussions in
the Council meeting for a redirection and consolidation
of the Universitys strategic

focus, the Chairperson of
the University Council, the
University Council and the
Vice Chancellor have mutually agreed that the Vice
Chancellors employment
contract be brought to an
end before the expiry of the
same. The mutual parting of
ways has been amicable.
The Council has appointed Prof. Ian Rouse, the
Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health
Sciences as Acting Vice
Chancellor of the University.
Professor Rouse brings

with him vast international
experience and has to date
provided excellent leadership of FNUs College
of Medicine, Nursing and
Health Sciences.
The Council notes and
acknowledges the excellent
contribution Dr Chand has
provided in developing the
Fiji National University and
wishes to place on record
his leadership in the amalgamation of the six national
Institutions into a University
that Fiji now calls its own
University.
The Council of the Fiji
National University reiterated its appreciation of Dr.
Chands dynamic leadership
of the University.
The University Council is
full of praise for Dr Ganesh
Chand. Having worked with
the Vice Chancellor over
the past five years, and having seen his leadership first
hand, I echo these sentiments as well. Dr. Chand
was always on his toes. He
was full of energy and determination to make the
University a credible and

a leading university. It was
his strategic thinking, and
his drive, enthusiasm and
passion that saw the rapid
development of the Univer-
sity, concluded Dr Reddy.

The Fiji National University Council wishes Dr Chand
well in his future endeavours.
q DEPTFO
Rice Experts to Implement

$10million Development Program
A team of rice experts
from China is in Fiji to implement a $10million Rice
Development Program in
Vanua Levu.
The Ministry of Agriculture acting permanent secretary Mr Uraia Waibuta said
the team is in the country
to demonstrate and train
farmers and agriculture officers on the technologies
to increase rice production,
to improve local varieties
and introduce best cultivation techniques to local rice

farmers.
The team including two
Rice Breeders will work at
the Northern Dreketi Irrigation Project on 200 hectares
of rice land extension and
also at the Koronivia Research Station for rice seeds
experiment and research.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between
the Peoples Republic of
China and the Fijian Government was signed last year to

boost rice production in Fiji.
The China Shandong
International
Economic
and Technical Cooperation Group Limited (CSI) in
technical partnership with
world known hybrid rice
seeds company, Yuan Longping HighTech Agriculture
Company Limited will work
together with the Ministry
of Agriculture in producing
Senior staff of the Ministry of Agriculture with the rice experts from China.
Photo: SUPPLIED.
more rice locally.
Fiji currently imports
$40million worth of rice an-
nually and the assistance

provided by the rice experts
is an opportunity for Fiji to
reduce its rice import bill.

q DEPTFO
Chicken Express Fiji Promotes Road Safety

Chicken Express (Fiji)
Limited, the specialist fast
service chicken takeaway
company is proud to announce that it has become
an advocate for road safety
in Fiji by partnering with the
Land Transport Authority.
The two parties have
signed a one-year sponsorship agreement that will allow Chicken Express (Fiji)
Limited to display a Land
Transport Authority (LTA)
road safety message on
speeding and contact details
to the Authoritys National
Call Centre on its dual face
billboard which is located in
Olosara Sigatoka, until December 2015.
Mr Naisa Tuinaceva, Chief
Executive Officer of LTA has
expressed his sincere grati-
tude to Chicken Express

(Fiji) Limited for working in
partnership with the Authority.
LTA is grateful for this
kind gesture and we are extremely delighted to know
that LTA is not alone in the
fight to stop accidents on
our roads, remarked Mr Tuinaceva.
Bill board advertising is
a very powerful medium to
highlight road safety messages for our motorists, pedestrians and all road users.
Chicken Express Fiji
Limited has chosen a strategic location since the
area is considered a red
spot, many lives have been
claimed in the spot and we
are confident that with their
timely sponsor together we
can save many lives on our

roads.
The LTA needs support
from corporate entities to
carry out awareness on road
safety.
Chicken Express (Fiji)
Limited has also included
a road safety message together with contact details
to the Authoritys National
Call Centre on its 2015 yearly
calendar which is being distributed to its customers.
Speeding is the number
one killer in the past ten
years, therefore the Authority will be carrying out more
awareness in this area this
year.
The LTA is facilitating governments Decade of Road
Safety for Action 2011-2020
initiative launched in 2011
which is aimed at reducing

the number of deaths on our
roads.
Fijis lowest death toll
was recorded in 2012 and
2013 with only 41 victims per
year.
In 2014, 49 people lost
their lives on our roads. Most
speeding cases are being recorded on Western Division
roads.
An analysis of the figures
showed the West recorded
29 of the 49 fatalities, a similar trend recorded in 2013
where of the 41 fatalities, 26
were in the Western region.
This is an alarming figure
and the LTA is once again
calling on all road users to
exercise extra caution when
using the road.
q PRESS RELEASE
The Chicken Express billboard in Sigatoka showing the LTA

road safety message on speeding and contact details to the
Authoritys National Call Centre. Photo: SUPPLIED.

LOCAL NEWS
Sheenal Shines
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
It was an emotional yet

joyous moment for proud
parents Basant Kumar and
Ben Kumar as their daughter Sheenal Priyanka made
a perfect end to her college
life.
The 19-year-old Swami
Vivekananda College student scored a total mark of
373 in the Fiji Year 13 Certificate Examination recording the highest mark in the
Western division and an
overall of fifth highest in the
national rankings.
Speaking to The Jet,
Sheenal expressed her excitement and revealed the
secret behind her success.
I am overjoyed. I am really glad that I was able to
end my high school life on
such a high note, she said.
I had always worked
hard since the beginning of
the year. I tried my best not

to procrastinate. One thing I
realised was that we have to
always be attentive in class
and participate in discussions and that really paid
dividend to me at the end.
Sheenal scored 96 in
Mathematics, 95 in Accounting, 94 in Economics, 88 in
English and 85 in Computer
Studies.
She said she is looking
forward to pursue her studies in overseas institutions if
given a chance.
After receiving my results, I am considering overseas institutions as well. If
not, then my second option
is University of the South Pacific, she mentioned.
To accomplish success,
Sheenal also had a short
message for all her peers.
I would like to recommend my peers to be humble in victory and gracious in
defeat, she concluded.
The highest mark in the
Year 13 Examination (previously known as Fiji Seventh

Form Examination) is 379
and was scored by Nischal
Raj of Jai Narayan College
while the overall percentage pass is 79.7%. This is an
increase of 4.5% when compared to the 75.2 % pass rate
of 2013.
Meanwhile, the Minister
for Education, Heritage and
Arts, Dr Mahendra Reddy
congratulated all those students that passed their Year
13 Certificate Examination.
The door is now open
for students to pursue their
career and is also an opportune time to secure financial
assistance from the TSLB
in the form of Toppers and
Loans Scheme. The government has provided this
assistance to ensure that
students achieve their goals
in life and contribute to the
society that groomed them,
remarked the Minister.
For those that fail the
Sheenal Priaynka (right) with her proud father Basant

Kumar showing her hard-earned marks achieved in
the Fiji Year 13 Certificate Examination. Photo: SUPPLIED.
exams, there is still room
for further studies. They can
repeat the examination or
pursue bridging courses that
will allow them to fulfill their
aims and dreams in life.
We want to see that all
students proceed in various
fields of study and secure or
create employment in the
future.
We will now analyse
the results by school and
subject to identify which
schools need more attention
and which subjects students
have performed poorly so
that resources are directed
towards addressing these
weaker areas.
The detailed data will be

made available to School
administrators, Heads, Head
of Departments and teachers so that they take appropriate action in ensuring that
performance bar is raised.
New Hospital to Open in Lautoka

By ANUSHIL KUMAR
People of Lautoka will

have better access to health
facilities by the end of this
month.
The Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) for the
new hospital was signed between the Ministry of Health
and Punjas Group of companies at the Punjas Headquaters in Lautoka on Friday,
January 9.
Health Minister Jone Usamate was grateful to the
Punja family as a whole for
the wonderful contribution
towards the health services
in Fiji.
We in the Ministry of
Health know that in our
march towards the vision
that we have of coming up
with a healthy population,
we need a caring health
care delivering system,

something that cannot be
delivered by the government
alone, Mr Usamate said.
Today the government
is very grateful to you (Punjas) and others like you that
are willing to provide the
resources so that we can
propagate this message of
looking after the health for
the people of Fiji.
On behalf of the Government, thank you very much.
We will make sure that the
services we provide there
will be of assistance to everybody in this country. I
must thank the Punjas Charitable Trust for doing all this
since many years before.
On behalf of the Government, we look forward to a
very successful collaboration.
Director Punja & Sons
Ltd, Mr Rajesh Punja was
pleased to sign the MOA
with the Ministry of Health.
We are delighted to be
signing this Memorandum of
Agreement for a new medical center for the citizens of
Lautoka, Mr Punja said.
Punjas, since its inception in 1935 has kept the
community at heart and this
project is our way of contributing to the health and wellbeing of people and making
their lives better.
The Punja Charity Trust
has taken the initiative to
partner with the government
of Fiji and in particular the
Ministry of Health and Medical Services in providing this
service to people so they
can get quicker and quality
health care without crowding our hospitals.
A total of $500,000 has
been invested for this project that has an ambulance
bay, nursing station, two
consultation rooms, ramp
for bed transfers, records
room, pharmacy, staff kitch-
Punjas Group chairman Kanti Punja (middle) hands over the keys to Health Minister Jone Usamate (right) and Assistant Health Minister Veena Bhatnagar (left) during the MOA signing at the
Punjas Headquarters in Lautoka. Photo: ANUSHIL KUMAR.
en, cleaning room, change
room with shower facilities
and amenities for the disabled.
We believe that health is
wealth and all efforts should
be made to maintain and

promote this. This year, we
mark 80 years in service and
what better way to commemorate this than with a
gift of good health.
The official opening of

the new facility is expected
to take place on January 24.
UniFiji Farewells Mr Joji Uluinakauvadra

The outgoing Director of
the Centre of iTaukei Studies in the University of Fiji,
Mr Joji Uluinakauvadra was
farewelled by the staff of the
University at Saweni Campus on Friday, January 9.
He started with the Centre in Semester two, July
2007.
The Registrar of the University, Mr Kamlesh Arya,
in his words of farewell
highlighted the early days
of the University when the
founding Director Mr. Filipe
Bole had handpicked Mr
Uluinakauvadra to take over
from him when he joined
the Interim Government in
2007. Master Joji then acted
as the Director for Semester
2 before he became a confirmed Director of the Centre from 2008 until 2014.
The staff members of the
University who were pres-
ent had put together a great

morning tea with all formalities observed. Master Joji in
his speech thanked the Arya
Pratinidhi Sabha (APS) for
trusting him with the directorship and for employing
him.
He thanked the Senate
and the Council, both the
past and present staff and
those that were present for
the contributions and support rendered towards him
during his service. Mr. Uluinakauvadra advised the
staff present to enjoy their
work.
The 78-year-old was a
teacher, a soldier and a politician. In his final speech, he
stated that whilst lecturing
the Law students at the Suva
campus in 2014, he realized
he could not stand up to
write. He decided there and
then that he had to end his
teaching career at the end of

last year.
During his handing over
of the keys to the office of
the Centre of iTaukei studies, he advised the Interim
Director to be strong and
continue with the vision and
mission of the Centre and
achieve their goals.
Mr Uluinakauvadra advised Mrs Salome Rokuta
and Mrs Amelia Tuilevuka to
uphold the vision, mission
and goals of the Centre in
their daily work.
He then prayed for the
staff and the Centre before
he finally closed the door to
take his leave. He was accompanied to his transport
by the two ladies where he
finally bid them farewell.
q UNIFIJI
Mr Joji Uluinakauvadra with the Registrar of the University of Fiji, Pt Kamlesh Arya
Photo: SUPPLIED.
ADVERTISEMENT
LOCAL NEWS
Vendors Sign Agreement for Food Voucher Programme

The Ministry of Women,
Children and Poverty Alleviation has signed agreement
with authorised food vendors for the continuity of the
governments Food Voucher
Programme.
The official agreement
signing between the Ministry and Carpenters Fiji
Limited (Morris Hedstrom),
Dhan Raj Chauhan Enterprises and Vanita Uluidai
took place at the Ministrys
headquarters.
The Food Voucher Programme is assistance provided to social welfare
recipients who are part of
the Poverty Benefit Scheme
(PBS) and the Care and Protection (C&P) Program.

The Ministry is currently assisting 18,000 Fijians
through the Poverty Benefit
Scheme while 5000 children
are assisted through the
Care and Protection Program.
The Ministrys permanent
secretary Dr Josefa Koroivueta said the signing signals
a growing relationship between Government and the
private sector in assisting
welfare recipients.
As announced in the
2015 national budget, the
monthly Food Voucher payment has increased from
$30 to $50, Dr Koroivueta

said.
These variations have
been projected into the contract, which has been extended till june this year.
With the increase in the
allocation for food voucher,
we are also re-looking at the
current food lists. New items
will be identified and added onto the lists to suit the
needs of the needy families
and vendors will also make
the necessary arrangements
to avail these items for the
clients.
Speaking on behalf of
Dhan Raj Chauhan Enterprise, Subhashni Lata Chau-
han thanked the government

for the opportunity provided
to serve the underprivileged
families in Naitasiri.
The Shop based at Lot 6
Vunidawa has been serving
more than 170 social welfare clients since February
last year.
We provide basic food
items to the clients who
are mostly senior citizens
and this arrangement with
the Ministry is working out
well, Mrs Chauhan said.
With the increase of
monthly food voucher from
$30 and $50, we agree that
the food item lists need to
be reviewed. Sometimes,
the clients want to buy items

like milo, sugar and bottled
water, which is not included
with the current lists. The review of the foodlist is timely.
We want to thank the
government for extending
our contract and giving us
this opportunity to serve underprivileged families in Naitasiri area.
Ms Vanita Singh of Vanita
Uluidai Shop said they have
been serving clients coming
from as far as Monasavu.
We have entered into an
agreement with the Ministry
since January this year and
have been, serving more
than 300 clients who come
as far as Monasavu. I am
grateful that this contract
has been extended today
and we look forward to
reach out to as many clients
as possible in Naitasiri, Ms
Singh said.
The contract came into
effect from Thursday, January 1 and will expire on June
30. Further extensions to the
contract will depend on the
evaluation of the services
provided by these vendors.
q DEPTFO
Improved Access
to Australian
Market for Fijian
TCF Products
The Fijian Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) industry is set to benefit from
more favourable access for
exports to the Australian
market, with the implementation of the Developing
Country (DC) Preferences
by the Australian Government earlier this month.
The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Hon.
Faiyaz Siddiq Koya, said this
was a very positive development for the TCF industry in
Fiji.
The DC Preferences
will provide Fijian exports
more favourable terms of
access into the Australian
market than the previous
South Pacific Regional Trade
and Economic Cooperation
AgreementTextile, Clothing
and Footwear (SPARTECATFC) Scheme, allowing for
easier and simpler qualification requirements for duty
free entry, Mr Koya said.
The Minister added the
new rules will allow for
greater flexibility for exporters to source raw materials
from more efficient and cost
effective sources, outside of
Australia and the Pacific Region.
The Fijian TCF exporters, for example, will now
be able to procure textiles,
including woollen materials,
from developing countries
such as China, Bangladesh,
India, Thailand and Vietnam, and then convert these
into finished garments for
duty free export into Australia, he explained.
Such flexibility was not
included in the earlier
SPARTECA-TCF
Scheme.
And, for the first time, wool
products are included as
part of the new flexible
rules. After 13 years of existence, the SPARTECATCF
Scheme expired on December 31 last year.
The Scheme is now re-
placed by the Developing

Country (DC) Preferences
under the Australian System
of Tariff Preferences.
This comes after a request by the Fijian Government to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon.
Julie Bishop, for an extension and a review, with the
view to improve the terms
and the rules, of the previous
SPARTECA-TCF Scheme.
The Australian market
accounts for 85 percent of
the total Fijian TCF exports,
and there is potential for
further expansion of exports
and investment in the industry, with the new and more
favourable market access
conditions in 2015, said the
Minister.
Minister Koya said the
Fijian Government over the
past 6 years has assisted
the TCF sector through a
marketing grant that has enabled the industry players
to group together to explore
new markets and reinforce
themselves in the existing
markets.
The FijiFirst Government
will continue to explore
ways to support the further
development of the TCF Industry, he said.
The TCF industry is an
integral contributor to the
Fijian economy, providing
employment to about 5,500
workers, majority of whom
are women, and comprises
a significant component of
Fijian exports in the manufacturing sector.
The Fijian TCF industry is
re-establishing itself to manufacture high-end fashion
garments that require faster
and high quality production.
Details on the Australian
Developing Country Preferences can be obtained
from the Ministry of Industry
Trade and Tourism.
q DEPTFO
LOCAL NEWS
Agriculture to
Drive Economy:
Cawaki
The Fijian Government
will continue to enhance
agricultural practices with
modern technology as part
of efforts to raise productivity.
Assistant Minister for
Agriculture and Rural and
Maritime Development Hon.
Joeli Cawaki says this would
assist in reducing the national import bill and ensure Fiji
is self sufficient.
In his address at the
handing over ceremony for
the Division Commissioner
Western, Hon. Cawaki said
this was one of the main
reasons the agricultural ministry was linked to the rural
and maritime ministry.
Government has noted

the need for a harmonious
approach and the linking of
the two ministries augurs
well for its development
plans to making Fiji self
sufficient, he said.
The Fijian economy has
done very well in the past
five years however, there is a
lot of rooms for improve and
Government recognises the
need for agriculture to boost
this growth.
Assistant Minister Cawaki
said the western division
was a critical division in government goals and development plans and would continue to ensure that idle land
is fully utilised.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Hon. Joeli Cawaki. Photo: SUPPLIED.
We will never see the
true potential of Fiji unless
we utilise our land and agriculture provides us that opportunity because we continue to import millions of
dollars of vegetables for our
consumption. This can be

our answer and agriculture
is our answer to reducing
food import bills for potatoes carrots and other vegetables.
He said the Fijian govern-
ment would continue to explore more advanced technological farming methods

from countries it has bilateral relations with to benefit
Fijian farmers.
q DEPTFO
Sweet Tweets
What is your new years
resolution?
FNU Graduates Teachers

By SALOTE QALUBAU
A total of about 700 graduands from the Fiji National
University gathered at the
Girmit Centre Lautoka on
Friday, January 9 to celebrate their hard earned
achievements.
Minister for Education
Heritage and Arts Honourable Dr. Mahendra Reddy
was the Chief Guest at the
auspicious occasion.
You will be put in very
challenging positions where
you will be required to make
decisions that personally
you will want to make and it
will be very difficult for you
to make decisions at a personal level and that is the
real test of a leader, how you
look at the bolder picture,
how you put your personaly interests and emotions
outside the decision making
process, said Dr Reddy.
Graduands were reminded of their crucial role which
will be to educate and inspire as well as to mould
Kiti Tabulawaki, Veiyanuyanu Handicraft Centre &

Tours
To work hard and make my
business grow.
Gauna
Tuiwai,
Nadi
To improve my life and attitude
Fiji National University graduands after the graduation ceremony at the Girmit Centre in Lautoka on Friday, January 9. Photo:
ANUSHIL KUMAR.
and develop close to 200,000
students each year through
their noble professions.
University acting vicechancellor Professor Ian
Rouse inspired the graduands with his motivational
words during the ceremony.

Its the inspiration which
is so important because
if you can encourage your
students to love to learn and
they carry that passion from
primary school, through sec-
Minister for Education and FNU Chancellor Dr Mahendra Reddy with acting
vice-chancellor Professor Ian Rouse . Photos: ANUSHIL KUMAR.
ondary and University into

working life then Fiji will
continue to be a leader in
the pacific, he said.
Professor Rouse thanked
the students for making
the Fiji National University
as their ideal institution to

be educated in and further
urged them to utilise education as a vital tool in making
a difference in the society as
a whole.
From left: Salvina Chand, Shana Shameeza Shah, Kishan Kumar and Ranjana
Kumar after the graduation ceremony at the Girmit Centre in Lautoka.
Shanil Prakash, Malolo Nadi

This year i made my resolution
to stop drinking
Kelevi
Yawayawa, Nadi
Improve in my work and maybe stop drinking
Ana Verenika, Votualevu Nadi

My new years resolution for
this year is for us to love one
another more and work together
and join hands in improving this
year
10 THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISEMENT
11
BULA DESI BOLLYWOOD SHOW
Bollywood Stars Rock Nadi
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
The Bula Desi Bollywood
show lived up to expectations with action-packed
entertainment,
comedy,
Bollywood choreographed
dances and charismatic music at Prince Charles Park in
Nadi on Saturday, January
11.
Stars Tusshar Kapoor, Zarine Khan and Ali Asgar put
up some grand performances on their own hits.
Gorgeous Ms Khan won
the hearts of the 1000 plus
Fijian fans present at the
show with her dazzling performance on some of her
most popular hits like Surili
akhiyon waale from her first
ever Bollywood movie Veer
starring with star Salman
Khan.
It feels really great performing in front of our fans
here in Fiji as people were
really eager to see us performing in front of them. We
had been receiving great
response from the time we
were here in Fiji and I am
sure people must have enjoyed the show, an excited
Ms Khan said.
I am really happy and
looking forward to coming
back to Fiji in future.
Star Kapoor also gave an
awe-inspiring performance
on his own all-time hit songs
from his movies like Golmaal
and Kya super kool hai hum in
which he showed 17 dance
moves in one act changing
his costumes seven times.
Bollywood star Tusshar Kapoor with the local talented dancers during the Bula Desi Bollywood show at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. Photo: ANUSHIL KUMAR.
I hope people of Nadi
enjoyed our show as we had
been preparing for it since
we were in Mumbai. Theres
a lot of niceness in the people here and I just love being
here in Fiji, said Mr Kapoor,
the son of Bollywood favou-
rites Jitendra.
While for Ali Asgar, he
kept the audience laughing
and giggling throughout the
show with his comedy acts
of the role Dolly Daadi from
his popular television show
Comedy Nights with Kapil.
Bula Desi Bollywood

show
promoter
Anesh
Mishra was happy with the
generous support for his
second promoted show. His
first show was organised in
Sydney last year.
I am really happy to
see the generous support

from our major and all the
platinum sponsors who had
been hand-in-hand to make
this event a successful one,
Mr Mishra said,
If we continue to get all
the support like this, surely
Bula Desi
Bollywood
Photography By ANUSHIL KUMAR
Bollywood star Zarine Khan entertains the crowd during the Bula Desi Bollywood show at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. Photo: ANUSHIL KUMAR.
we will have more Bollywood shows in future.

The Bollywood stars, who
had been in the country for
a week, left our shores on
Monday, January 12.
ADVERTISEMENT
Brand New Tyre Sizes Currently Available
Passenger / Vans / SUVs / 4x4s

165/80 R13
175/70 R13
185/70 R13
185/70 R14
195/70 R14
185 R14 C
195 R14 C
195/65 R15
205/65 R15
205/70 R15
195 R15 C
235/75 R15 LT
33x10.5 R15 LT
215/70 R16
245/70 R16
265/70 R16
235/85 R16 LT
215/45 R17
265/65 R17
235/60 R18
Trucks
7.00 R16
10.00 R20
(Running)
COMPUTERISED WHEEL
ALIGNMENT & BALANCING
Save Money on Fuel

Get Longer Tyre Life
Enhanced Suspension Life
Improve Handling & Control
Improve Safety & Stability
10.00 R20
(Cross)
11 R22.5
(Running)
11 R22.5
(Cross)
Back Road, Nadi. Ph 7763323,

9208688. info@nipponfiji.com
13
TOURISM
TOURISM TRENDS
Growing MICE Business Receives Boost

To meet the growing
demands of the Meetings,
Incentives,
Conferences
and Events (MICE) segment
within the tourism industry
through the newly established Convention Bureau,
Tourism Fiji has announced
the expansion of the role of
the organisations Director
of Events, Sally Cooper on
Tuesday, December 23.
The MICE business is incredibly important for the
Fijian tourism industry, especially so, as visitors in this
category have a higher aver-
age daily spend than most

leisure visitors and MICE
business works well during
Fijis low season a time
when it can be challenging
to encourage leisure visitors
from Australia and New Zealand.
Until now, Fiji has not had
a co-ordinated approach to
marketing the destination to
MICE travellers, leaving it to
individual operators to largely work on their own.
The Tourism Fiji Convention Bureau will focus on
two key areas. Firstly, it will
brand and market the destination to this sector. Secondly, it will be an impartial
body to coordinate bids
for large scale MICE programmes.
In establishing the Convention Bureau, Acting CEO
Ken Freer elaborated on the
facets of the Convention Bureau that will help grow Fijis
tourism industry.
The Convention Bureau
will allow Fiji to be marketed to the MICE segment in
a professional and coordinated fashion, by the body
best placed to do so the

National Tourism Organisation (NTO), Freer said.
Its important to note
that this is a long-term plan
and the real benefits of the
Convention Bureau wont be
seen for 2-5 years, especially
for large-scale events and
conferences where destinations are planned a number
of years in advance.
So, while Fiji will see
a benefit straight away in
terms of smaller pieces of
business such as smaller
incentive groups, the bigger
wins will come further down
the track.
With the launch of the
Convention Bureau effective as of January 1, 2015,
the previous role of Direc-
tor of Events has evolved

to include MICE market
management to provide the
advanced level of service
demanded by this niche.
Current Director of Events,
Sally Cooper, has been appointed to manage both
events and MICE businesses.
In accepting the appointment, Ms Cooper shared her
vision for the growth of this
particular segment.
As infrastructure in Fiji
improves holistically with
air capacity, roads, transport
providers, venues and room
inventories increasing - this
market is a positive growth
market, said Ms Cooper.
With the establishment
of the Convention Bureau,
we aim to offer educational
seminars each year to better educate the local service

providers and front liners
about the differences between servicing the needs of
the corporate guests as opposed to guests on leisure.
Essentially people that
are here on business expect
professionalism, punctuality
and a higher level of service,
which the Convention Bureau will assist the industry
cultivate over the next few
years.
Fiji has the technology
and the facilities to deliver
conferences and incentives
to international standards
with the added bonus of the
happy Fijian service.
q FNU
New Tour Book to Attract

More Tourists from Asia
q TOURISM FIJI
Minister for Trade, Industry

and Tourism Faiyaz Koya
during the launching of
Tour Managers new Chinese
Travel Guide. Photo: SUPPLIED.
The release of a new
travel guide produced in the
Chinese mandarin language
will strengthen Governments tourism campaign
and attract more tourists
from Asia.
The
Hon.
Minister
for Tourism Faiyaz Koya
launched the Tour Managers
Chinese Travel Guide containing all the information a
visitor would need.
Company Director Damen Goundar said they
came up with the idea for
the guide after noticing an
increase in the number of
Chinese tourists to Fiji.
We have noted an increase in visitor from China
and worked on a holistic
approach in ensuring that
we are ready to capitalise

on the influx of visitors from
China, he said.
Goundar said with more
Chinese tourists looking for
new holiday destinations,
the travel guide is the perfect marketing tool.
Tourism Minister Faiyaz
Koya commended the initiative adding that any effort to
attract non- English speaking tourists is a welcome investment.
The Chinese Travel
Guide is another important
initiative that is the result of
a partnership between Tour
Managers, Tourism Fiji and
other industry players, Minister Koya said.
As an industry, we should
be proud of this collabora-
tive effort. The Guide will

make information about Fiji
readily available to the Chinesetraveller in their own
language, whether they are
on holiday, on business or
just passing through. This is
the first guide in the Chinese
language in Fijis history, and
is a crucial part of our strategy to boost Chinese visitor
arrivals.
We want to make Fiji
as welcoming as possible,
especially to those whose
first language isnt English.
This is an important way for
us to do this. In the future, I
will encourage Tourism Fiji
to develop similar guides in
other strategic languages.
The FijiFirst Governments vision is to increase
tourism to a $2 billion industry by 2020, and this will
be achieved by focusing
on the quality of services,
diversification of products
and having the right support
infrastructure to increase
the stay of the visitors and
increase their spend while
in the country and this requires commitment, not
only to providing the finest
facilities, but to ensure that a
lasting impression is left on
our visitors.
TOURISM
InterContinental
Fiji Welcomes 2015
in Style
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
It was a stylish and
memorable new years eve
celebration for the staff,
management and guests
of InterContinental Fiji Golf
Resort & Spa as they greeted
the year 2015 with an exclusive White Ice Affair.
According to the Director
of Dining and Entertainment
Mr Denny Akira Tanaka, it
was the best new years
eve they ever had with the
special edition by Mot and
Chandons Ice Imperial
Champagne.
Featuring entertainment
by Fijis best dance group, a
local live band and DJ, it was
the most unforgettable New
Years Eve party in Fiji, Mr

Tanaka said.
We planned some surprises and seeing the delight
on our guests faces was the
best moment indeed.
Resorts Area General
Manager Mr Erik Stuebe acknowledged the successors
for having a great 2014.
The resort has had a successful 2014 and we would
like to thank our owners, the
Fiji National Provident Fund,
our tourism stakeholders,
our colleagues and our
guests for their support, Mr
Stuebe mentioned.
We welcome 2015 and
look forward to the challenges that come with the
new year.
The exclusive Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial champaign. Photo: SUPPLIED.
Fiji Airways Group Announces World Class

On-Time Performance Result for 2014
Fiji Airways, Fijis National Airline, and Fiji Link,
its regional and domestic
subsidiary, reported on Friday, January 9, their overall
on-time performance (OTP)
results for the year ending
December 2014, with both
airlines performing healthily
above industry standards.
Fiji Airways has maintained above industry standards targets, reporting an
overall 2014 on-time performance of 83.02%.
Fiji Link continued their
above 90% performance this

year, with an overall result of
93.59% OTP.
Fiji Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Stefan Pichler was pleased at
the performance, adding the
airline will continue its focus
of maintaining OTP above
80% for 2015.
These are good result
and were glad to be sitting
comfortably above the 80%
industry standard, Mr Pichler said.
The whole team will be
working hard to ensure we

maintain or better this performance this year.
We had some minor
mechanical issues with a
couple of our B737 aircraft
later in the year, along with
a handful of operationalrelated factors which contributed to some disruptions, but were committed
to providing our customers
the best service whilst at the
same time ensuring we do
not waiver from our priority
of safety.
The
on-time
performance for both airlines is
available on the Fiji Airways
website: /about-fiji-airways/
on-time-performance/. OTP
is a global airline industry
benchmark which measures aircraft flight departures as being on time if they
depart from the gate within
15 minutes of the airlines
scheduled departure time.
q FIJI AIRWAYS
15
PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) DAY CELEBRATION
LAUTOKA CAMPUS
Muslims Celebrates Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) Birthday
AGE, LOCATION OR
QUALIFICATION IS NO
BARRIER TO LEARNING
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
THE SOUTH PACIFIC
LAUTOKA CAMPUS

Do you want to study while working and living with your family?
Learn in a relaxed & flexible environment!
Do you have experience but wish to upgrade your qualification?
Do you wish to study through USP Lautoka Campus?
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO SEMESTER I 2015 IS NOW OPEN!!

Application form is available at the USP Lautoka Campus Front Office Counter and accessible
online via: www.usp.ac.fj/student
His Excellency the President of Fiji Hon.Epeli Nailatikau addressing the muslims gathered at
Churcill Park in Lautoka to celebrate Prophet Muhammed(pbuh) Birthday.
Photo: SUPPLIED.
By SALOTE QALUBAU
Officiating the celebrations for the Prophet Muhammads birthday on Monday, January 5 at Churchill
Park in Lautoka, His Excellency Honorable Epeli Nailatikau acknowledged the Fiji
Muslim League and its pioneer members for their immense contribution to Fijis
progress as a nation.
As we gather today to
celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, I encourage
all believers of Islam to stand
firm in your faith and in your
efforts to be an integral component of a truly united Fiji,
said Mr Nailatikau.
A Fiji where every Fijian
now or in the future can be

proud to call their home.
Members of the Islam
community were further
encouraged to continue
to pursue and cultivate a
higher sense of being, and in
the process facilitate more
understanding and tolerance of each other and of
other communities in Fiji
as this would be parallel to
the idealistic foundational
teachings taught by Prophet
Muhammad.
Mr Nailatikau highlighted eleven days prior to the
days celebration, Christians
all over Fiji had celebrated
the birth of Jesus Christ the
Messiah and with the Islam community gathering
to celebrate the auspicious
occasion of the Prophet

Muhammads birthday this
has indeed proved to be an
embodiment of Fijis melting pot of diversity, be it culturally or religiously in terms
of understanding and honoring the different beliefs one
holds.
The common thread in
all these achievements is
undoubtedly the strength
and unity of your faith. I,
therefore, pay tribute to your
forefathers and also to those
of you in the current generation.
I have no doubt that your
religious teachings and the
principles of good citizenship will be passed on to
your children who will also
be model citizens of Fiji.
Ahmadiyya Muslims
Commemorates a Special
Day
About 300 Ahmadiyya
Muslims gathered at the Rizwan Mosque in Lautoka to
listen to the teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad.
The national SeeratUn-Nabi-Jalsa event was
marked by devotees residing on Viti Levu including
Ba, Nadi and Suva a few
flew from overseas.
President (Amir)/missionary for Ahmadiyya Fiji, Maulana Mahmmod Ahimad Sahib said it was another time
to enlighten the devotees on
the true teachings of Islam.
We should enlighten
ourselves on the true teachings of Islam and Prophet
Mohammed; there is a need
to remind ourselves of those
practices, Mr Sahib said.
Islam is always spread
through love and peace. We
are gathered here so that we
should adapt to have love
and peace among ourselves
in reality.
He added that Islam con-
Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community gathered

at the Rizwan Mosque in Lautoka to celebrate Prophet
Muhammed(pbuh) Day. Photo: Jariullah Khalid.
USP Lautoka Campus offers programmes and courses at CCE, Vocational, Pre-Degree, Certificate,
Diploma, Degree, Post Graduate and Masters level.
For more information contact via email: usplautoka@usp.ac.fj or telephone: 6666800.
VARIOUS LEVELS OF
CHINESE LANGUAGE
COURSES IN USP
LAUTOKA CAMPUS
A non-profit organisation, the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific (CI-USP)
was established between the University of the South Pacific and Beijing University of Posts and
Telecommunications, China. CI-USP is offering various levels of Chinese (Standard Chinese)
courses in Lautoka Campus in 2015. If you want to open a door to the profound Chinese culture
and history, to run a business with the fast developing country, or to travel, study or work in China,
here is your opportunity.
OUR COURSES:
USP semester based courses
- Credit courses for USP students (LL181/LL182/LL281/LL282)
- Social courses (Beginners / Intermediate / Advanced levels)
In-house training courses
Flexible courses to meet the different demands of individuals, businesses, schools, government
departments and NGOs.
Distinctive cultural workshops
- Chinese Tea Ceremony (Semester I, 2015)
- Chinese Calligraphy (Semester I, 2015)
- Chinese Minority Dancing (Semester II, 2015)
Course details:
Courses
Credit courses
(LL181/LL182/
LL281/LL282)
Social courses
(Beginners /
Intermediate /
Advanced levels)
demns such as such as harassment and terrorism and

will not be associated with
it.
Islam was made from
peace; Islam can never be
separated by force or weapon so that was the message
and enlightenment to all
here, he said.
There is also a need to
act accordingly and if you
look at Islam and the practice of the holy Quran, it has
condemned any form of harassment, terrorism and all
activities associated with it.
Interestingly the Ahmadiya community does not cel-
ebrate the Prophet Muhammads Birthday.

We can never ever celebrate his birthday; even he
himself did not celebrate
it during his 63 years. Even
after his demise his entire
companion, even his wife
did not celebrate it, so we
only celebrate what he did,
he said.
A similar programme
was held for those in Vanua
Levu at the newly built Majid
Noor, in Seaqaqa and Baitul
Jame Mosque in Taveuni he
said.
WAISEA NASOKIA /Fiji Sun
Distinctive cultural
workshops
Chinese Tea
Ceremony/ Chinese
Calligraphy/
Chinese Minority
Dancing
Venue
Duration
Fee
Notes
Refer to the USP Calendar 2015 for the course details and fee
schedule.
USP Lautoka
Campus
17 weeks
FJD$200
USP Lautoka
Campus
TBA
FJD$10
Class will
start on 9
February
2015
TBA
Contact us:
Ms. Teresa Ali, tel: 6666800; email: ali_t@usp.ac.fj or usplautoka@usp.ac.fj and Ms. Guilan
Chang, tel: 6666800-3222; mobile: 9919067; email: guilan.chang@usp.ac.fj or visit our Website:
www.usp.ac.fj/ci or Facebook: Confucius Institute at The University of the South Pacific
TOWARDS EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE CREATION
TOURISM
Film Fiji, Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji Sign

Memorandum of Understanding For Promoting
Fiji as a Film Destination
Film Fiji, Fiji Airways and
Tourism Fiji signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) on January 9, for
the promotion of Fiji as a
film destination to overseas
based production houses for
filming of Hollywood, Bollywood and other international productions.
The MOU signed by Fiji
Airways Managing Director & CEO and Tourism Fiji
Chairman, Stefan Pichler,

and by Film Fiji CEO, Dallas
Foon, will see a coordinated
approach by these organisations in bringing to Fiji new
opportunities for film production.
Film Fiji CEO, Dallas Foon,
said We are very pleased to
partner with Fiji Airways and
Tourism Fiji in a cooperative effort to promote Fiji.
Film production and
tourism go hand in hand.

A successful international
movie always results in a
marked increase in tourism
to that location from fans.
For example, the successful
Bollywood film Zindagi Na
Milegi Dobara, shot in Spain
in 2011, saw an increase of
32% in Indian tourist arrivals
to the country almost overnight. We want to do the
same for Fiji.
Stefan Pichler said We

are very happy to work with
Film Fiji in bringing productions to Fiji. Ultimately, tourism will be the big winner
here if a major production is
shot in Fiji, hence, it makes
absolute sense to partner
with Film Fiji for this.
We had already been
working together over the
past year in promoting Fiji
as a film destination and this
MOU brings some structure

to our earlier efforts together.
As well, this partnership
fits perfectly into the plans of
the expanding Fiji Airways
fleet and with the extra tourism expected, Fiji Airways
and Tourism Fiji will be in
good position to provide the
required capacity.
So, exciting times ahead
for Fiji for film and tourism.
In 2014, Film Fiji issued

52 approvals to productions
ranging from small budgets
to those over $10million.
Most of these productions
flew Fiji Airways to come to
Fiji.
q PRESS RELEASE
Health is Wealth
Bonus Scheme
A total of 103 staff on Treasure Island Fiji registered to
take part in the companies
Weight Loss programme.
The programme was supervised by the Islands Full
Time Resort Nurse who also
gave dietary and exercise
advice.
Every week the staff
member who lost the most
weight would earn a cheque
of $100.
At the end of twelve
weeks the person who lost
the most weight would earn
$1,000.
The total weight loss
for all staff over the twelve

weeks was 163 kg. This is
equal to three 50kg bags of
flour plus a five kilo bag of
rice a five kilo bag of sugar
and three kilos of onions
and cassava.
Group General Manager
congratulated all those who
took part in this programme.
Many of those who participated reported feeling
more active, with less aches
and pains.
The staff also reported
they were able to breathe
easier, walk more freely and
had a lot more energy.
The winner of the

scheme was Rosie Chong
who lost a total of 22 kg over
the period.
Rosie thanked the company for the scheme and
that it pushed her to participate. Rosie will be putting this money towards her
sons university fees as he
will be starting university in
2015.
She also announced she
is continuing to lose weight
and has set herself a new
goal to lose another 20kg.
q PRESS RELEASE
The winner of the Weight Loss Programme Rosie Chong (right)

receives her $1000 cheque. Photo: SUPPLIED.
17
BUSINESS NEWS
Additional benefits in the FNPF Education Assistance Scheme

Fiji National Provident
Fund members, spouse,
children and siblings can
now access funds under the
new Education Assistance
Guidelines which has been
reviewed to assist members
in attaining quality education.
Two significant value adding changes to the Funds
education assistance policy
are the increase of incidental expenses from $5,000
to $10,000 for the period of
study overseas and the inclusion of $200 per semester
for text books for tertiary students.

Members like Joseva Raika plans to take advantage
of the provision of $200 text
book to assist him in purchasing his daughters text
books this semester and is
one of the few that has already submitted his early
withdrawal application for
assistance.
FNPF has been assisting
me to provide for my family
and am thankful to FNPF for
continually making it easier
for us members to obtain
financial assistance for the

purpose of education and
the $200 provision for text
books will certainly ease
the financial burden for me
in the beginning of this academic year, he said.
The above are value
adding changes to the current benefits under the
Funds Education
Assistance scheme including;

Local and overseas
tuition amounts for year 13,
tertiary studies including
vocational courses for ap-
FNPF Releases
Contribution Breakdown
10% employers
contribution
Effective from January 1,
Employers are mandated to
pay 10 per cent as mandatory contribution towards
their employees retirement
savings. This is an increase
of 25 per cent from the previous 8 per cent mandatory
Employers contribution.
The increase followed
governments
announcements to increase employers contribution by two per
cent in the 2015 Budget.
The increase will boost
savings for members and
enhance their income at retirement. The Fund expects
all Employers to comply
with the new rule.
Additional
Contributions
Effective January 1, compulsory members (those in
formal employment) can
choose to contribute more
than the mandatory 8 per

cent contributions from their
wages.
Additional contributions
one member can deduct
will be maintained at a maximum of 12 per cent of the
members gross wages.
Additional contribution
must be paid together with
the mandated contribution
when due.
The maximum amount of
contribution from a compulsory member is 30 per cent;
where 10 per cent will be
paid by the employer, 8 per
cent by the employee and 12
per cent of additional and or
excess contributions.
Excess contribution is
paid by some employers as
part of their employees benefits paid above the mandatory employer contribution.
Members who make additional contributions towards their FNPF accounts
will need to decide on
which accounts these de-
ductions are to be directed

to; the Preserved and/or
General Account.
The General account
can be accessed for early
or pre-retirement withdrawals whilst the Preserved Account is reserved for retirement
FNPF Chief Executive, Mr
Aisake Taito said allowing
members to pay additional
contributions towards their
FNPF means that members
can save more for retirement.
Our core area of business, again this could not
be emphasised enough is to
ensure that
members have a decent
income to live comfortably
at retirement.
The Fund therefore will
continue to explore opportunities to secure the future for our
members, Mr Taito said.
q FNPF
Immigration Explores Passport

Printing at Divisional Offices
The Department of Immigration is exploring the possibility of printing passport
books at its divisional offices
in Lautoka and Labasa/Savusavu.
Director
Immigration
Nemani Vuniwaqa said this
would reduce a backlog of
passport applications received in Suva through its
divisional offices.
We are looking into this
however, that would mean
an extensive research on
our part which we are currently undertaking in Labasa
and Suva, he said.

However, we have been
working very hard in ensuring that our passport services are more streamlined
and this has meant a faster
clearance of backlogs that
we used to have in the past.
Mr Vuniwaqa highlighted
despite the challenges encountered in 2014, the department will strengthen its
services to the public.
We have enough (35,
000) passport books with
us on standby and we have
received positive reviews
about our services which

we are aiming to even better
in the New Year.
We have been inundated with applications
and requests from former
Fiji residents and many of
them have started working
towards coming back home
to either invest or assist their
families which is an indication for the positive growth
that Fiji is already experiencing.
q DEPTFO
proved institutions only.

Foundation level studies offered at high school.
Tuition for students
who attend special schools
with a specialist report to
confirm this.
Tuition for courses that
are examinable and may result in the attainment of an
academic certificate.
Assistance for accommodation for local studies
with a provision of $2,500
per student per semester.
And balance of fees
subsidized by government
under the free education,

where the net amount can
be assisted by the Fund.
FNPF Chief Executive, Mr
Aisake Taito said the Fund
is aware of the importance
of investing into education,
and it would ensure that
members continue to access their funds in order for
them to achieve their academic goals.
In the last financial year,
FNPF approved more than
29,000 education assistance applications totaling
$33.2million.
Through
education,
members are able to upskill
and upgrade their capabilities to attract better pay and
in turn improve their standard of living, Mr Taito said.
In helping our members
improve their standards of
education, FNPF is also contributing to the
social and economic development of the country.
q FNPF
be Money Wi$e
Essay Competition
The Reserve Bank of Fiji
has partnered with capital
markets industry players to
organise an essay competition for school students between the ages 15-19 years
as part of the be Money
Wi$e (bMW) program.
The BMW program is
part of the Capital Markets
Awareness platform, targeting school students.
The objective of the program is to promote the importance of acquiring good
money management skills
with a particular focus on
understanding the concept
of investing and investment

products available in Fiji.
Deputy Governor, Ariff Ali
stated the essay competition will assist students to
familiarise themselves with
real-life scenarios utilising
important concepts such as
goals, saving, capital markets, investment products
and investment choices as
it requires students to learn
and research about the capital markets in Fiji.
The theme of the essay is
be Money Wi$e securing
my future goals today.
Details of the competition
are available on the Reserve

Bank of Fijis website: www.
rbf.gov.fj or be obtained
from the Reserve Bank of
Fiji by telephone 322 3441 or
email: swastika.s@rbf.gov.fj
The competition closes
on 27 February 2015. Winners will be awarded with
cash and investment prizes,
and all participants will be
awarded a certificate of participation.
q RBF
ADVERTISEMENT
19
BUSINESS NOTICE BOARD
ADVERTISEMENT
21
LOCAL SPORTS
Ministry to Meet More Youth, Sports Clubs

The Ministry of Youth
and Sports will strengthen its
sports awareness and promotion programs in partnership
with the Fiji National Sports
Commission and sporting organisations.
This is to help eliminate misunderstandings and
improve relationships and
knowledge between members
of the public, sports enthusiasts and sporting bodies in
Fiji, The Hon. Minister for
Youth and Sports Mr Laisenia
Tuitubou said
The ministry has begun
conducting talanoa sessions
with youth clubs since November last year in the northern and western divisions.
We will continue in the
western division soon and we
are hoping to extend the program to sporting clubs espe-
cially rugby.
Hon. Tuitubou met with the
chief executive officer of the
Fiji Rugby Union Radrodro
Tabualevu at the ministry
headquarters where he was
briefed on the unions vision
and way forward.
The ministry sees that talanoa sessions will augur well
with sporting clubs and federations in forging and strengthening relations between all
parties, identifying gaps in
services and address the needs
of those involved in sports at
all levels, Hon. Tuitubou told
Mr Tabualevu;
Mr Tabualevu told the Hon
Minister he fully agreed with
the concept and the ministry
can be rest assured that it has
the full support of the FRU.
However he was concerned
with the influx of rugby play-
Sports Minister Visits

Western Youths
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
The Minister for Youth

and Sports Hon. Laisenia Tuitubou visited youth groups
in parts of Yasawa, Legalega,
Nanoko, Kubuna, Emuri, Natalaicake and Saioko during
his tour in the Western division.
Mr Tuitubou, in his address, mentioned about the
governments commitment
to the development of young
people in the country.
Government is committed to the development of
youths in the country and
we will continue to visit
youth groups until we have
covered all the youth groups
regardless of where they are
situated, he said.
We have visited Vanua
Levu and met with youths
in Bua and Macuata and we
will also visit youths in Lau
and Kadavu and conclude
with the Central Division as
it is closer to us to gauge
how best we can improve
our services to the youths.
He also highlighted on
the significance of registering with the ministry in order
to receive assistance from

all government departments
and ministries.
Once you have registered with the ministry, you
will have access to all of governments assistance and
that is why registering with
us is important because we
can provide support for further assistance from other
government departments.
There are a lot of programmes available with the
ministry to develop youth
groups in order to generate
income and develop young
people.
Mr Tuitubou also urged
the youth groups to utilize
their available resources
properly which could assist
in being self-employed and
generate income.
The Minister also held
informal talanoa sessions
with youths and members
of the seven communities
where some important discussions were made regarding the needs of the youths
and how the ministry could
assist in the best possible
ways.
ers locally because of the rise

and popularity of other contact sports.
Our vision is that to ensure that rugby players are
created or identified, nurtured
and groomed at an early age to
guarantee a successful rugby
brand or nation.
We are hoping that we
will pull national resources
and synergise efforts of all
rugby organisations or bodies
to ensure that the right skills
and knowledge are taught and
practised from primary school
level onwards, Tabualevu
said.
He also added the FRU
would adopt the approach
taken by the sports ministry to
ensure and promote good governance within rugby clubs
and unions around Fiji.
q DEPTFO
The Hon. Minister for Youth and Sports Mr Laisenia Tuitubou with Fiji Rugby Union CEO Radrodro
Tabualevu. Photo: SUPPLIED.
Youth Ministry Discusses Way

Forward
The Ministry of Youth
and Sports is determined to
maximise on its increased
budget and review its policies to ensure effective delivery of services in 2015.
The Ministrys senior
management held its first
meeting for the year at the
ministry headquarters in
Suva earlier this month.
The meeting involves all
the divisional and department heads, the director,
the permanent secretary
and the minister, The Ministrys permanent secretary

Mr Josefa Sania said.
The meeting centred
on the new structure of the
ministry, the new targets
and how we can best utilise our increased budget in
2015.
Mr Sania added they have
discussed ways to maximise
the existing Integrated Rural
Development Framework in
most of their programs and
activities this year for the
benefit of the youths and the

community.
The Hon. Minister for
Youth and Sports Mr Laisenia Tuitubou also told the
senior managers that they
need to continue working
hard to achieve bigger and
better things this year.
We have improved our
achievements last year and
it is to prove that we can go
a notch higher in 2015, said
Hon. Tuitubou.
I encourage you to maxi-
mise the available policies

and processes while implementing your programs and
ensure that you serve your
audience the youth of Fiji
with passion.
He added he had noticed
the hard work and commitment of his staff during the
last three months of his appointment and he is looking forward to working with
them this year.
q DEPTFO
The Hon. Minister for Youth and Sports Laisenia Tuitubou with youths of Natalaicake Village in Ba.
Photo: SUPPLIED.
Required
Advertising Reps
LOCAL SPORTS
Nadi Eels Rugby League Club players and officials at the Mount Saint Marys ground in Nadi. Photos: SHEIK DEAN/FIJI SUN.
Trial Begins for Nadi Eels

By SHEIK DEAN of Fiji Sun
The Nadi Eels Rugby

League Club has kicked off
with their preparations for
the 2015 Vodafone Cup Top 8
competition.
More than 40 players
flocked to the Mount Saint
Marys ground in Martintar
Nadi on Saturday, January 10,
for trials to select a formidable
side for the competition.
This year, the side will be
making their debut in the top
eight and this has mounted

pressure on officials to maintain a spot in the Top eight.
Teams business development manager, Dijana Green
says this is the first time for
the side to feature in the elite
Top eight.
This morning (January
10) is about the trials and
picking the best players, she
said.
We have strategic plans
in place to be better than what
we were last year and to be the
champions.
She says the plans include
skills program, development

and junior programs to help
the players understand all the
aspects of the game.
Green believes the focus
and the devotion of the committee not to give up had
given the side a chance to step
into the Top 8.
We are seeking sponsorship because we have plans to
grow this club.
The club was donated
sporting gear such as jerseys,
rugby balls and kicking tees
and rugby boots by their counterparts in Australia, the Par-
Fiji Loses Boxing Icon

By ANUSHIL KUMAR
A sea of mourners from

all walks of life united in
grief to bid farewell to the
late welterweight boxing
champion Zulfikar Joy Ali in
an emotional funeral service
in Nadi on Monday, January
5.
More popular with the
name of Joy The Jet Ali, the
36-year-old Fijis golden boy
of the ring in 1990s failed to
survive his biggest fight after he died at the Colonial
War Memorial hospital early
Monday morning.
Police advised the media
Ali committed suicide three
weeks ago after having a
family dispute.
Fiji Boxing Commission
West director Usman Ali
Lale said the late boxer had
made a name for himself in
the fight arena.
Lale said Ali made the
country proud by taking
its name to greater heights
and his legacy would be engraved in the Fiji boxing history book.
He was a pride for our
country and was recognised
internationally and locally,
Lale told The Times Sport.
Joy has taken a name
of the country to another
level and he will always be

remembered by his close
friends, relatives and opponents.
According to Lale, Fijis
Golden Boy had also left behind a good lesson for aspiring boxers.
If there is one thing that
Joy has left behind for his
fans and upcoming boxers I
believe it would be the commitment and the passion he
has for the sport.
He is one of the fittest
boxers I have come across
and he will be sadly missed
by his loved ones. On behalf of the boxing commission and the boxing fans we
thank Ali for the memories.
Lale also mentioned to
The Times Sport tributes and
condolence messages kept
flowing in from members of
the public and former boxers locally and internationally.
Joy started his boxing career at the age of 16 where
he began fighting in the
lightweight division.
In 1995, Alis first reported
boxing match was against
Raven Singh, whom he defeated in the fourth round by
a KO at the National Indoor
Stadium in Suva. He won
the Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) light middleweight title, defeating
the former World Amateur
bronze medalist Ercment

Aslan of Turkey.
On 10 December 2005,
he fought against his most
important opponent, Javier
Mamani from Argentina,
who was ranked ninth in
the world at that time. A win
would have guaranteed Ali
a title fight in the WBA. He
put his PABA light middleweight title on the line, but
was KOd in the first round
by Mamani.
Ali boxed six more times,
winning three and losing
three. As of 2012, Ali held the
Fiji Light Middleweight title.
He fought a WBA Asian title
fight against Crazy Kim, but
was knocked out.
Ali was once ranked 13th
in the world and, in October
2005, was ranked 15th by
the WBA in the Super Welterweight division.
His boxing record says he
had 51 fights (31 wins, 26 by
knockout) 13 losses and six
drawn bouts.
ramatta Eels Rugby League

Club.
Parramatta Eels, chief financial officer, John Boulous
was present at the ground during the trials.
It is great to be able to
work with Nadi Eels and any
club with the name Eels, we
consider them a family of
ours, Boulous said.
We hope to grow this relationship and hopefully we
might get some good players
in the future.
Parramatta Eels chief financial officer, John Boulous (left)

and Nadi Eels business development manager, Dijana Green
(fourth from left) at the Mount Saint Marys ground in Nadi.
New Football Season to Start Soon

By ANUSHIL KUMAR
The 2015 National Football League will kick start on
Saturday, Janaury 24.
Fiji FA competitions manager, Amitesh Pal said the
decision was made after
consultation with the sponsors CJ Patel Group of Companies.
Initially the league was
scheduled to start on January 10 and with respect to
the sudden death of CJ Patels managing director Sandip Patel, it was deferred,
he mentioned.
The approved fixtures
for the first three weeks of
competition will be released
soon and manager Pal urges
district teams to start their
preparation for the new season.
He also added a new
name for this years National
League competition will
also be revealed soon.
All Freight Logistics Suva

are the defending champions after finishing on top of
the points table grabbing the
title last season.
Meanwhile, the Pillay Garments champion vs champion series will be played
between Ba and Suva.
The first leg will be played
at ANZ Stadium in Suva on
Sunday, January 18 while the
second leg will be played at
Bas Govind Park the following Sunday January 25
Yadrana and Punjabi Tigers Takes

out the Competition
The final round of Suva
Cricket was played with
Yadrana taking out the premier grade competition, and
the Punjabi Tigers finishing
on top in A-grade.
Yadrana headed into the
final round of Premier Grade
competition in first place
before cementing their position on top, ending on 116.5
points.
The BSP Titans also kept
second position after the final round finishing just behind Yadrana on 93.5 points.
Army finished third on 86.5
points, with VICC surging
ahead in the final game to

finish fourth on 79 points.
Rounding out the Premier
Grade were Moce 2 (74.5
points), Komo (73.5), OnoI-Lau (69) and Sarafui on
51 points. Unfortunately for
Ono-i-Lau and Sarafui this
means relegation from premier grade and replacement
by the top two finishers in
the A-Grade competition.
In A-Grade, the Punjabi
Tigers remained on top of
the competition after the
last round, finishing on 166
points. Covenant brothers
jumped several spots with
a big win in the last round

to finish second on 123.5
points, making themselves
and Punjabi the two teams
to be promoted into the premier grade for next year.
GMTM finished strongly
in third place on 120.5, followed by SGOS (103), Oniata (101.5), Moce 1 (98.5),
BSP Warriors (86.5), Nasaqalau (84.5), Heilala (70),
and the Police rounding out
the competition on 2 points.
q CRICKET FIJI
23
Page 22
Page 23
SPORTS MINISTER
GIVES MORE
PRIORITY TO
YOUTHS
SOCCER
SEASON
TO START SOON
JANUARY 2015. ISSUE 1
Battle is On!
50 CENTS
Vodafone Fiji U17 Set to Compete for World Cup Spot
The 20 member Vodafone Fiji Under 17 side for the Oceania Football Confederation Championship (OFC) in Samoa. Photo. Antonio Kitione.
By ANUSHIL KUMAR
The Vodafone Fiji Under-17 side

is set to compete in the OFC Under-17 Championship in Samoa.
Fiji is grouped in Pool A along
with hosts Samoa, Cook Islands,
Papua New Guinea, New Zealand
and New Caledonia.
Head Coach, Kamal Swamy
says it was challenging for him to
name the team after looking at the
discipline and outstanding performance during the teams training
sessions.
We have good blend of players
in the squad with a strong accent

on players capable of influencing
the outcome of games in the attacking third, Swamy said.
The players have proven their
worth at training and preparation
phase and now it is up to them to
put it into practice.
According to Swamy, the boys
believe in teamwork.
We are working together well
and we work together well with
the district team and I think we
will do well with this team and the
boys are shaping up very well, he
added.
Swamy has named Muni Shalit
Reddy, Shoel Dildaar Khan, Fazeem
Khan, Patrick Joseph, Amena Bolaitamana, Afraz Ali, Timoci Dovi

and Rusiate Qio who will feature
for the team in the midfield area
while Joela Biuvuna and Waisake
Cakacaka will be wearing the goalkeepers jersey.
Other players are Arami Manumanubai, Akeimi Ralulu, Adeel
Ali, Shamron Prasad, Kartik Kumar, Simeli Batiratu, Alvish Naidu,
France Kelepi Catarogo, Lino
Roseru and Shavneel Deo.
The OFC U-17 Championship
will be held in Apia, Samoa and
Pago Pago, American Samoa, from
January 13-26 and will involve both
the co-hosts, defending champi-
ons New Zealand, Cook Islands,

Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and
Vanuatu.
The participating teams will
be competing for Oceanias sole
qualification spot for the FIFA U-17
World Cup, set to be held in Chile
from October 17 to November 8
this year.
The teams have been divided
into two groups; each based in
Samoa and American Samoa,
and will play each other once in
a round-robin league system. The
top two teams from each group
advance to the semi-finals to be
held in Pago Pago on January 24.
Third place play-offs will also

be played prior to the main final
which are scheduled two days later at the same venue as the winner
will be confirming their under-17
world cup spot.
New Zealands Young All Whites
are the defending champions of
Oceania at U-17 level after winning the title in 2013 in Luganville,
Vanuatu, and going on to compete
at that years FIFA U-17 World Cup
in UAE where they exited at the
group stage play-offs.
The tournament was currently
underway when this edition went
to the press.

The Jet Volume 7 Number 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Jet Volume 7 Number 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

JANUARY 2015.

Fiji Airways Receives Second ATR 72-600 for Fiji Link

by the Vakamamaca (welcome) ceremony.

the region as it is equipped with

Fiji - the way the world should be

The Fiji police force is

be complacent about their

THE JET is Fijis first community newspaper published bi-monthly

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Life Cinema Brings Smiles to

Holding a soft opening for

from our first figures and

soft opening and its been a

New Commissioner Ready

ward to continuing the level

THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

and knowing that the division is a disaster prone one, I

Mr Tagicakibau started with his new role on

THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

PRIME MINISTERS NEW YEARS ADDRESS

Rear Admiral J. V. Bainimarama, CF(Mil), OSt.J, MSD, jssc, psc

we embarked on our new

the voices of disunity among

To build on the advantage

nificent year for Fiji. As we

the Prime Minister to look

THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Increase in the Price

wholesale price of the locally produced books.

Ms. Premila Kumar

CEO Consumer Council of

Extension of the Rent Freeze Order

year, Minister Koya said.

rent freeze, the Fijian Government will ensure that it is

terests of landlords are protected.

Government Officials Pay Tribute to the

sese Tikoitoga were among

THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Text Books Provided for Students

Change in FNU Vice Chancellorship

of the Universitys strategic

Professor Rouse brings

University a credible and

sity, concluded Dr Reddy.

Rice Experts to Implement

and introduce best cultivation techniques to local rice

China and the Fijian Government was signed last year to

nually and the assistance

reduce its rice import bill.

Chicken Express Fiji Promotes Road Safety

tude to Chicken Express

can save many lives on our

THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

which is aimed at reducing

The Chicken Express billboard in Sigatoka showing the LTA

It was an emotional yet

the year. I tried my best not

Year 13 Examination (previously known as Fiji Seventh

Sheenal Priaynka (right) with her proud father Basant

The detailed data will be

New Hospital to Open in Lautoka

People of Lautoka will

care delivering system,

be made to maintain and