ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will fly to New Zealand on Friday to meet Fijians here as he shifts his election campaign overseas.
He confirmed at the weekend at the celebrations to mark the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation diamond jubilee in Suva.
This will be the first time that Mr Bainimarama will set foot in New Zealand after the 2006 takeover and the imposition of travel sanctions against him and members of his Government and the military.
New Zealand and Australia have lifted travel sanctions because Fiji is set to return to democratic elections next month.
Meetings have been organised in Auckland where he is expected to correct misinformation spread by his opponents. He returns to Fiji on Monday.
Mr Bainimarama said he was also looking forward to travelling to Australia. He said all he was waiting for was the Fijian community there to confirm the arrangement.
He also announced that plans had been finalised for the creation of a National Digital Television Platform “that will greatly improve the picture and sound quality of TV programmes and expand the coverage of all broadcast television channels.
“The new platform will initially extend the coverage of all broadcast channels to 94 per cent of the population, marking a drastic improvement over the current levels of coverage,” he said.
“Also digital television will work on current TV sets and no satellite dish is required. All that is needed is a low cost set top box, which will give you greater control over programming, including the ability to choose what channels are available in your households if you have children.
“The Department of Communications will oversee the creation of this government-owned national platform. Once complete, the platform will be handed over to FBC to manage and FBC will form a new transmission company for this purpose.
“Broadcasters will then lease one or multiple digital channels for fixed annual fees. The system will be completely transparent and the cost to lease channels will be the same for all broadcasters, including FBC.’’
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will fly to New Zealand on Friday to meet Fijians here as he shifts his election campaign overseas. He confirmed at the weekend at the celebrations to mark the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation diamond jubilee in Suva. This will be the first time that Mr...
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will fly to New Zealand on Friday to meet Fijians here as he shifts his election campaign overseas.
He confirmed at the weekend at the celebrations to mark the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation diamond jubilee in Suva.
This will be the first time that Mr Bainimarama will set foot in New Zealand after the 2006 takeover and the imposition of travel sanctions against him and members of his Government and the military.
New Zealand and Australia have lifted travel sanctions because Fiji is set to return to democratic elections next month.
Meetings have been organised in Auckland where he is expected to correct misinformation spread by his opponents. He returns to Fiji on Monday.
Mr Bainimarama said he was also looking forward to travelling to Australia. He said all he was waiting for was the Fijian community there to confirm the arrangement.
He also announced that plans had been finalised for the creation of a National Digital Television Platform “that will greatly improve the picture and sound quality of TV programmes and expand the coverage of all broadcast television channels.
“The new platform will initially extend the coverage of all broadcast channels to 94 per cent of the population, marking a drastic improvement over the current levels of coverage,” he said.
“Also digital television will work on current TV sets and no satellite dish is required. All that is needed is a low cost set top box, which will give you greater control over programming, including the ability to choose what channels are available in your households if you have children.
“The Department of Communications will oversee the creation of this government-owned national platform. Once complete, the platform will be handed over to FBC to manage and FBC will form a new transmission company for this purpose.
“Broadcasters will then lease one or multiple digital channels for fixed annual fees. The system will be completely transparent and the cost to lease channels will be the same for all broadcasters, including FBC.’’
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