A-G To LTA: Resign Or Return Permits
‘OBVIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST’
All Land Transport Authority staff, Board members and their immediate family members who have acquired public service vehicle permits and licences during their term with LTA should either surrender their permits and licences or resign.
The Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has recommended that this be done within three months. Also, such permits and licences issued to former Board members and their immediate family members are also under scrutiny. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum wrote to the LTA board chair Vijay Maharaj raising concerns about the obvious conflict of interest. Mr Maharaj is out of country and is expected to respond upon his arrival.
“The continued holding of PSV permits and licences, while holding office with LTA, poses an obvious conflict of interest with respect to monitoring and enforcement of LTA rules and regulations vis-à-vis other PSV permit and licence holders. In fact, such PSV permits and licences should not have been issued in the first place to such persons,” he said.
“To ensure that all employees of
LTA perform their duties and responsibilities in a completely neutral and transparent manner and in order to improve the integrity and reputation of LTA in public domain, it is critical that the employees and Board members of LTA and their immediate family members must not be the holders of any PSV permit or licence.
“Given the above, all employees and Board members of LTA must be immediately informed that, for as long as they hold office with LTA, they and their immediate family members are prohibited from being holders of PSV permits and licences, and they should be given the option of either surrendering the PSV permits and licences or resigning from LTA. To allow all parties to make decisions and organise their affairs, this should be done within a short time-period, but within a recommended 3 months.
“With respect to former employees and former Board members of LTA or their immediate family members who are still holding PSV permits and licences, LTA must immediately ascertain whether such PSV permits and licences were acquired at the time when these former employees or former Board members were holding office with LTA.
“If so, then such PSC permits and licences need not be renewed upon expiry and the employees and former Board members or their immediate family members may re-apply for a PSV permit or licence, and their applications processed, in the same manner as other members of the public,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Fiji Taxi Association happy with move
Association general secretary Rishi Ram said: “This is very good and that is how it should be. We support the A-G’s move and we also believe that this is in the best interest of the public. More on this will also be discussed at our annual general meeting on 19 March.”