Mara: Thankful

Over Aid

From SUE WENDT, in Suva Fiji’s Chief Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, exercised ad mirable restraint when ques tioned in August about Austra lian aid to the South Pacific and Australian economic involvement

in Fiji.

Asked whether he thought Aus raha’s 1970-71 South Pacific Aid s rogramme allocation of $A700,000 vas “realistic”, he replied that those ‘on the receiving end” had little choice but to be thankful for such lid. “I am not the one to judge

whether it is realistic from their end,” he commented.

From the new Australian alloca tion, Fiji is expected to receive about $200,000 in equipment, $27,000 in expert services and part of $147,000 set aside for the provision of tech nical training for Pacific Islanders.

Last year, Fiji received Australian aid worth $31,000 in equipment, $21,000 for expert services and $35,000 for training.

Part of the $200,000 equipment allocation this year includes equip ment overflowing from last year’s programme. The increase was an nounced in the Australian budget, announced in mid-August by the Federal Treasurer, Mr. Leslie Bury (see p. 105).

Ratu Mara is noticeably reticent about committing himself publically on the question of Australian involve ment in Fiji. He declares himself “somewhat diffident about saying what Fiji should expect” from Aus tralia.

At an August news conference, he said Australian financial control in Fiji was rapidly decreasing. What he would like to see was the establish ment in Fiji of subsidiaries of com panies which now supply goods directly from Australia. “It’s a question of mutual agreement with Australia,” he said.

The Chief Minister outlined gov ernment plans to strengthen the police force by between 200 and 300 men and the Fiji Military Forces by about 150 men, mainly in the officer cadre.

Defence discussions in London, he said, had included the question of getting some up-to-date rifles instead of the 303 s now in use and acquiring uniforms, tents, Land Rovers and other vehicles.

Asked whether Fiji would be getting ships or aircraft, he replied that his present concern was in “finding out what I get for nothing”.

He was asking for a grant from Britain for the “military hardware” and other equipment.

The Chief Minister said an an nouncement would be made soon about the possibility of the Governor of Fiji, Sir Robert Foster, continuing to serve in Fiji as the first Governor- General.

On the question of an independent chairman of the sugar industry, he said that he very much hoped that the present Administrator of the British Virgin Islands, Mr. J. S.

Thomson, would return to Fiji to take up the post. A former Acting Colonial Secretary and Acting Gov ernor in Fiji, Mr. Thomson left Fiji in 1967 after 25 years in the Fiji civil service.