‘Look at the mirror first’
Kamikamica to Sayed-Khaiyum:
I ASK him to look at the mirror first before he casts stone.
This was the response from Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica to former FijiFirst general secretary Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum’s comments that Fijians are suffering from the economy’s sluggish position because the Minister of Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, has no idea on how to run a modern day economy.
Mr Kamikamica said the Coalition Government was still trying to “fix up the mess” left by the previous administration which includes an outstanding film rebate bill of $200 million.
“When we got into Government, we discovered there was a debt, or there was a bill of $200m outstanding for film rebates in Fiji. That is still unpaid, so this Government is trying fix up that mess,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“We have to pay $40m a year, for the next three to four years to bring that exposure under control. Nowhere in the world do you have that level of irresponsibility, where you actually go and commit certain things, as a government, and don’t have the ability to pay.
“So, before the former attorney-general starts talking about economic management, I suggest that he looks at his own back yard first.”
Mr Kamikamica said the previous administration was trying to use these monies to finance the 2022 General Elections.
“Another thing that I thought I’d share, when we got in, FRA (Fiji Roads Authority), he hadn’t paid the bills for their contractors. There was about $50m. That money, we had to provide in the budget, for his expense. Clearly what they were trying to do was spend money for the elections, and when they got over the line, hide it, and then keep going.
“So, any comments from the former A-G about economic management, I’m sad to say is not relevant because he has let this country down. That’s my comment to him in terms of what he’s saying.
“He’s brought us into this level of debt. I have no time for some of the comments he makes on social media because it’s through his mismanagement that we’re now facing the issue that we’re facing.”