It was a November to remember for the country’s tourism industry as they waited in anticipation for the opening of Fiji’s borders to the world.
The news and social media were filled with stories of out of work industry employees eagerly awaiting the return of visitors to our shores.
On Thursday, November 11, borders were reopened for the first time after being closed for more than a year.
This saw the arrival of fully vaccinated returning Fijians, diplomats, and permit holders.
Tourists followed on December 1 from travel partners including New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the United States. It was estimated that as many as 40,000 visitors were expected over December 2021 and January 2022.
NOVEMBER 1 GOVERNMENT took $39.8 million out of 12 ministries and entities to fund its “unemployment benefit” scheme in the 2020-2021 National Budget.
NOVEMBER 2 NINE school weeks is “good enough” for Year 12 and Year 13 students to revise and sit external exams, said Minister for Education Premila Kumar.
NOVEMBER 3 TOURISM Fiji CEO Brent Hill said as many as 40,000 visitors could visit Fiji from December 2021 to January 2022 when borders reopened for international travel.
NOVEMBER 4 ELEVEN children battling cancer in Fiji succumbed to the deadly disease between January and November 2021.
NOVEMBER 5 FIJI indicated it needed $6 billion between November 2021 and 2030 to achieve its enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
NOVEMBER 6 THE Health Ministry planned to purchase Molnupiravir, a drug manufactured by American pharmaceutical giant Merck, as a safeguard against a possible third wave of COVID-19.
NOVEMBER 7 POLICE stopped a COP26 March for Creation organised by Catholic youths from tertiary institutions in Suva.
NOVEMBER 8 SOCIAL Democratic Liberal Party leader Viliame Gavoka issued a stern warning to party members aspiring to unseat him – “come through the main door, don’t climb in through the window”.
NOVEMBER 9 POLITICAL parties in Fiji believe the legal powers of the Registrar of Political Parties are excessive, according to a recent report from an international non-governmental organisation.
NOVEMBER 13 FORMER Solicitor-General Sharvada Sharma took Government to court for the “farcical process” that led to his suspension and termination.
NOVEMBER 14 LEADERS of four political parties in Fiji called for a “complete clean-up” of the Elections Office before the preparations for the 2022 election gets underway.
NOVEMBER 15 ATTORNEY-GENERAL and Minister responsible for Climate Change Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said they were deeply disappointed by the hypocrisy of language on coal going from “phase out” to “phase down” minutes before the closing of COP26.
NOVEMBER 16 NATIONAL Federation Party leader Professor Biman to achieve anything tangible from its agenda at COP26 proved that the donor funded trip was a “junket”.
NOVEMBER 17 MEMBERS of Parliament and police top the list of institutions that Fiji people believe are corrupt, according to the Global Corruption Barometer Pacific 2021 report.
NOVEMBER 18 ABOUT 110 out of 1000 Fijians surveyed by Transparency International claimed they were victims of “sextortion” and were asked for sexual favours in return for access to government services or benefits.
NOVEMBER 19 AN increasing number of 50 to 64-year-old iTaukei men living in the Suva-Nausori corridor are losing their legs to diabetes, says Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) surgeon general Dr Timoci Qereqeretabua.
NOVEMBER 20 REGISTRAR of Political Parties Mohammed Saneem said Ratu Epenisa Cakobau and Lenaitasi Duru were the officials on record as office holders of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.
NOVEMBER 21 SUVA lawyer Suresh Chandra resigned chair of the Electoral Commission.
NOVEMBER 22 ONLY 15 per cent of Fijians believe the Government frequently takes their views into account when making decisions, a new report released by Transparency International said.
NOVEMBER 23 FIJIANS want unity, stability and prosperity, and the country should not let “sideshows” dominate national discourse, President Wiliame Katonivere said.
NOVEMBER 26 VILLAGERS in the district of Namara, Tailevu, were told bus services would cease if villagers didn’t get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 30, by district representative Sekaia Mua.
NOVEMBER 27 FORMER Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Rakuita said she wasn’t done with politics.
NOVEMBER 28 PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama warned Fijians that a new variant of the COVID-19 virus suspected to be worse than the Delta variant was discovered in South Africa on Thursday.
NOVEMBER 30 PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama apologised on behalf of Parliament to the Fijian people for utterances made in Parliament for things that should not have been said or could have been said better.
