Money that is supposed to be used for family or church is being used at nightclubs – Turaga

It is an acknowledged fact that 75 percent of the iTaukei live below the poverty line and the money that is supposed to be used for family or church purposes are used elsewhere, namely at nightclubs.

This has been highlighted by Attorney General Siromi Turaga at Namoli Village, Lautoka following consultations on the change in opening hours of nightclubs, the name change policy implemented by amendments to the Interpretation Act and the Electoral (Registration of Voters) Act and the Fisheries Act.

Turaga says it is the iTaukei population who are out there on the streets at 4 or 5am and many of them are intoxicated and some of them are there to cause trouble and hassle the patrons.

He says this issue needs to be addressed by the church and vanua.

The Attorney General says he is told that the people from even Votua and Namoli go to Martintar when the nightclubs close in their area at 1am.

He says they are getting overwhelming support that nightclubs should close at 1am but he is getting views in Namoli that clubs should close at midnight on a Saturday because Sunday is for service and worship.

While speaking on the name change policy, Turaga says the view of some of the women in Namoli is that they bear their name on the birth certificate and should not change their name.

He says they are also getting views on the Fisheries Act.

Turaga says before, to apply for a fishing licence, people had to go to the village and get a written consent from the owners or the qoliqoli, give a sevusevu and sometimes money to be used for the vanua.

He says with that written consent, the application was processed through the administration of government and approved but the government changed the law a few years back without any consultation.

He says anyone who wishes to apply for a license goes straight to the Divisional Commissioner, pays a fee of just over $10 and goes out fishing.

Turaga says the issue here is the laws were changed without consultation.

He says they will also be having consultations during the Methodist Church Annual Conference in the coming weeks to try and explain these laws because that is where majority of the iTaukei will meet.

He reassured the people that the government is committed to changing the laws.

Consultations on the laws continue in the West.