Message 20 June 2012

We recently cleared out of Fiji and had a great deal of trouble getting our $1501 Biosecurity bond for our cat returned.

I am therefore interested in getting in touch with other yachts that may have had similar problems in obtaining the refund of the bond.

If you have animals on board and have cleared out of Fiji within the past 2 years, it would help greatly if you could e-mail me with the answers to the following questions:-

1) What port did you clear in at?

2) What Port did you clear out at?

3) What was your rotation number?

4) What animal did you have on board?

5) Did you have any trouble getting your bond refunded?

6) If so please provide brief details.

7) Would you mind being contacted by an anti-corruption investigation in this matter?

Many thanks,

Mike Dorsett

White Princess

Tuvalu

Posted 22 August 2012

We entered Fiji in Lautoka in October of 2011. Moved over to Suva in August of 2012 and needed to get our “Security Bond” refund for our two cats. Here’s what we went through. We showed up on Friday late morning at the BioSecurity office just before the bus station. Talked to the woman in charge of something, not sure what but she knew all about the fees cruisers get charged. Since we had paid the bond in October of last year, she needed a letter from us asking for a refund of said money. If we could get it to her by close of business, she would have our check on Monday. You could have knocked us over with a feather. It just didn’t seem possible that it could be so easy. We headed back to the boat and typed up the letter. We returned it to the office later in the afternoon. The woman that had helped us had stepped out to go to the bank. Now, all we had to do was wait. I showed up Monday afternoon. The check was in processing and one of the people that normally signs the checks weren’t in(Main Office). Could we please come back on Tuesday after 1400. No problem(never argue with a government official-especially when they have $3,000 of our money). The man in charge of this office told the woman that had been helping us to make sure that the main office knew that their delaying us had created a problem for us and that he expected the check to be ready on Tuesday. WOW!

I showed up Tuesday afternoon at 1500 and the check still wasn’t at the office, BUT, they offered to drive me to the other office so I could get the check. Off we went and 20 minutes later, I had the check for the refund in my hand!!!! It took all of 3 business days!!! I made a comment to the man that drives me about needing a bank to cash it. He took me to the local Westpac Bank and dropped me off. Five minutes later, I had our money. I was a bit concerned when I saw that the check was for “CASH” and not my name but the teller didn’t blink an eye and handed me the money. Go figure!?!?! We can’t believe it went so smoothly.

Bill Hudson