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Issue No: 664; 8 April 2001
The Daily Post says that the strike by the Eastern Express Buses Ltd is a professional blackmail. The bus company went on strike last week claiming poor road conditions. This week it brought two bus loads of supporters, including students, to protest in front of the government offices in Labasa. It is understood that most of the protestors were political supporters of one of the failed candidates in the last general election. The candidate is related to the owner of the bus company. The Daily Post today reveals that the bus company is demanding $500,000 soft loan from the government to "improve the conditions of the buses" to meet the legal requirements. The paper alleges that this is the real motive behind the strike. Businessmen who know the company state that the company has been in financial problems for some time. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department has refuted claims that the roads have not been maintained. The Director of Roads has stated that the bus strike has nothing to do with road conditions. He is quoted by the media as saying: "The bus company concerned has to come out clean and what they're really after can only be settled by the LTA". The LTA - the Land Transport Authority - is the statutory authority responsible for public transportation. It is understood that the company also wants the LTA to let it operate sub-standard buses. The tactic of twisting government arms by businessmen in Fiji has been increasingly coming to light in Fiji. Earlier a businessmen, an ethnic Indian, had imported rice without proper rice licences and demanded that the regime allow him to land the rice. When the regime's minister refused permission, the importer stated that he had no difficulty working with the regime, except for with the Commerce Minister. (see: http://www.pcgov.org.fj/hot_press/no572.htm). The garment industry has also extracted major tax concessions from the regime by pointing to factory closures over the past few months. The regime had announced the end of the 13-year tax-free holiday to be effective from January this year. But it is understood that numerous lucrative tax-concessions have been given to the garment industry. All the business interests involved in twisting the regime's arms have been active opponents of the People's Coalition Government. The People's Coalition Government did not tolerate any blackmail from business houses which had received years of unfair protection from previous governments. Such protection and cronyism had led to massive exploitation of workers and consumers in the country. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
