from w
With the new budget by the Interim Government and the 5% reduction in salaries of Fiji's civil servants - because a coup upsets the money system - there are a lot of unhappy chappies and sad working women. Here's my view of the line-up at one of the banks. Of course nowadays many stand outside the ATM's instead of queues inside. Also, sometimes the bank is a good place for a breather (airconditioning) from the humidity of the day.
Nice sketch - I can relate. Same as Maui, only I think folks in Fiji have more sense. I used to be so put off by people who would walk into a bank with NO shirt and stand IN LINE with other people. Common sense would dictate some sense of respect for others you'd think.
ReplyDeleteA coup does upset the financial applecart, as does corruption - sometimes they come hand in hand with friends of the instigator doing the financial misdeeds. Other countries that try to meddle by cutting off trade and tourism are also a big part of the financial problems following any coup.
Don't misunderstand. I don't favor a coup as a means to political ends and I am very concerned about abuse of rights by any government. That includes those that are supposedly elected in a "democratic" process. (Like the present one in the USA).
I am really opposed to coups in Fiji - all of them. There ought to be a better way (as Stuck in Fiji Mud's song goes) to fix things that can be labelled as nepotism, fraud, scams. Maybe, just maybe, this is a learning curve for Fiji that leaders should have been more observant and vigilant.
ReplyDeleteMany people are losing jobs at present, and a pay cut isn't helpful to people with responsibilities for a large network of relatives.
Also, there are always going to be cyclones and floods that devastate communities and there has to be money in the government's bank for emergencies.
w.
PS Sadie and the cleaning ladies are certainly needed in some of the pushy countries!
Perhaps we should send this painting to the banks here in Suva. Even with the modern age of computers and heightened efficiency, we still have these queues at the banks. The other thing, consumers need to be taught to make use of ATMs and avoid going into branches unless absolutely necessary. It reminds me of stories of old customers who still prefer to see the actual bank balance being written in a passbook which they can carry themselves and "check" now and again to somehow make sure that their funds are still there.
ReplyDeleteFor visitors to Fiji, the use of the ATM is very helpful, and it's always a surprise for me to see Fiji money coming out - from an Australian account. They do charge - though I'm not sure how much.
ReplyDeletew.
Better way for scams, corruption or is it a betterr way to eradicate them. Can't make an omelete without breaking eggs.
ReplyDeleteBreaking eggs? I think there are aspects of this military regime that are a bit more serious than that? Some good people now suffer. The scammers are probably sitting pretty, and how do you get the money back that is spent? Those people who have stolen money/goods that don't belong to them have probably covered their tracks by now. Also, in my opinion, a coup-takeover of an elected government does not have authority to do the work of the police anyway. It's the police that have to be given funding to do their work.
ReplyDeletew.
Good people suffering. So those who suffered in 1987 and 2000 coups were not good?
ReplyDeleteWas it not the Fiji Police who allowed the Australian SASR to bypass immigration checks at Nadi terminal and used Police vehicles to transport these soldiers and weapons from the airport complex.
SAS mens and arms also violated Australia's own regulations (Section 5.4.2)
Quote:
"Any use of a bag or courier to import or export firearms, narcotic drugs or other items that contravene Australian laws would be regarded with the utmost seriousness".
If anything, the Police were complicit in illegal activties that border on sedition.
Read on FNPF and NLTB scams in the dailies and you see that the only people who taken advantage of is Sairusi and Senimili Taukei.