Good evening,

Workers facing increasing job insecurity and lack of income are banding together in self-help groups, passing skills on to each other and brainstorming for ways to improve their positions. Most of the problems faced by workers stem, it is said, from debt. Speaking of which, thousands of farmers have been protesting outside Government House because of plans by some financial institutions to sue them for failure to repay debts. The government seems likely to do something to restructure the deal or, at least, it is saying that it will do. Farmer indebtedness has been a problem for centuries – the problem is that most are so poor they have very little if any savings and so are vulnerable to emergent problems such as health issues, which can arise around the year while income only comes after harvests.

Farmers are likely to see little in the tripling of prices of roses which are, it is claimed, being hoarded by intermediaries prior to the peak demand of Valentine’s Day. The unusually cool weather has had a negative effect on the supply of roses, while exports to Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong are continuing at a high rate.

Some 20,000 students are said to have failed to meet the deadline of payment for the forthcoming A-Net exams because the online system did not show the deadline prominently enough or, perhaps, at all. These exams are an important part of the attempt to enter university and considered, therefore, a significant part of the process of education.

Back tomorrow at some stage.

0-0. Four games: one own goal. The Open Top Bus has been cancelled again.