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LETTER: FinSec takes on columnist over SMART Economy Initiative
Thursday 28 January 2021 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"I would expect you as Editor to hold your columnist accountable to your newspaper’s Journalism Charter, published in July 2019."
"I would expect you as Editor to hold your columnist accountable to your newspaper’s Journalism Charter, published in July 2019."
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Comments
Wayne Mitchell on 01/02/2021
This response is in part to said statements and also to what is occurring in the Agriculture arena and others, all based on these subsidies , grants. Most of the monies received by recipients is exported overseas supporting a foreign country and economy and not ours, the Cook Islands, the que outside the Western Union every week is long. With MFEM this time around of grants/subsidies asking for more information of the same they already have in their files and 50 % of the economy in free fall there are no new records, only evidence of Cook Islanders being resilient, going back to the land and sea and going into survival mode once again like in 1996. By asking us for more records they are asking us to lie. Most are now trading in the unconventional market of street/home stalls, bartering or home orders. The existing market is small and only half of if not worse than what it was, flooded and underpriced, with all stakeholders fighting for the small slim market share, e.g. a farmer takes 20 bags of taro to market and returns home with 17 to 18 bags of taro he then looks to his neighbors and gives the remainder away he cannot eat it all he doesn't have the storage, he has just killed his market. The cost of production doesn't make it worth his time and he goes to sleep on a bed of bills. The smart economy initiative is all good and well but when applied incorrectly actually can and does have a negative impact upon our society as a whole, e.g approving 100k grant for a new online gaming initiative, what's wrong with that you say? It has been proven gaming in the violence sense leads to actual violence in life like this weekends holdup in Tikioki where did they learn that? Approving a music TV station/ show for 100k, where's the benefit there do they have the rights to showcase the songs and shows? You know a little thing called copyright. Those monies each would have subsidised 40 people thereby maybe 40 families. ( About to borrow money from the family for my airfare out of here and take my chances with Covid either way I lose.) Thanking you for your patience 🙏 Wayne Mitchell.
Jacki Crummer Brown on 29/01/2021
Raising issues of public interest is what journalists should do, especially when it concerns government funding. We all wish to see that procedures and allocations are fair, equitable and meet the funding criteria. The response from the FinSec to matters raised regarding the SMART Economic Initiative was informative. My first thought regarding the SMART Economy Initiative was that funding seems to be already allocated and the deadline for applications is today/29/01/21. In my experience of applying for jobs, the vetting starts after the deadline. There was detail of an unsuccessful application but no corresponding explanation of the successful application. I would hope that in due course, the public have access to the list of successful applications with details of the business venture and how it met the funding criteria. This would show transparency and avoid misunderstanding. It would be helpful to know who comprises the expert panel and what is their area of expertise. This information contributes to the building of public confidence in how government departments operate. No criticism is meant rather an interest in understanding process and transparency.
Lynn beaumont-Orr on 28/01/2021
Thankyou for your considered and educated response to an article clearly not written by someone of the same level. I was horrified to read her article which, as usual, contained spurious defamatory and highly racist non facts which the author seems to revel in on a regular basis. Racism has no place in our society but the author seems to think that racism against immigrants of whatever nationality is acceptable on this Island. I sincerely hope the Editor of the paper actually reads her article before printing it in future as this is not the first time she has been insulting and degrading with unfound claims. Maybe it's time to find a qualified columnist who doesn't have such a personal and damaging personal agenda.