A-G to Kiliraki: Let Us Explain To You How It Really Works
Sayed-Khaiyum said the Opposition MP was misleading people by proposing amendments
Opposition MP Ro Kiniviliame Kiliraki thinks everything will become ‘hunky dory’ if the Fiji Mahogany Trust budgetary allocation was increased to $600,000, says the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum bemoaned the fact that the Opposition member did not even take the time to sit down with those entrusted with the hardwood trade to find out what was going on. “Not once in the past two or three years has he taken the opportunity to even sit down with us to try and understand what is happening,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was responding to a motion in Parliament by Ro Kiliraki to increase allocations for Fiji Mahogany Trust from $250,000 to $600,000. The Fiji Pine Trust already had an allocation of $600,000. He said the allocation would help landowners to establish nurseries and to proceed further from their current position which had already been happening with Fiji Pine Trust. However, Ro Kiliraki’s motion was defeated by 28 to 15 while nine didn’t vote.
“The way forward is for this $600,000 to be able to empower the landowners to be more proactive in the Mahogany Industry,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
He said just by increasing the $600,000; that suddenly everything would not become ‘hunky dory’. “You must take time out if you are truly concerned about what is happening; if you really want to know, sit down with us and we will explain it to you,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the Opposition MP was misleading people by proposing amendments.
“It is not going to make a difference,” he said.