Sayed-Khaiyum Speaks Out Against World Bank’s Recommendation
Former Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has spoken out against the recommendation to reduce civil service pay, which was made in the recent World Bank report on Fiji’s debt levels.
Despite not having read the report, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum stated that the FijiFirst Government believed in appointing civil servants based on merit and multitasking, and that technology should be used to reduce operational costs.
He also expressed concern over reports of some civil servants drinking and smoking after work, and being transported home by government vehicles, which he said increased operational costs. The World Bank currently has six active projects in Fiji focused on transport, health, climate change, tourism, and digital connection, totaling US$414 million in commitments.
Speaking to the media after being questioned by Police at the its Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Toorak yesterday, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum spoke at length on why this was so. “We said civil service needed to be appointed on merit and multitask,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. “Technology needed to be introduced in the system to be able to reduce the operational cost.
“We are being told that there are certain ministries where people sit and drink grog and smoke cigarettes after work. Guess who drops them home? Government vehicles are being run to drop them home. “That increases the operational cost.
“Operational expenditure is something that (we need to keep an on),” he said.
FijiFirst debt reduction strategy
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum added that in 2021, the FijiFirst Government produced a medium to long-term debt strategy which was an economic debt reduction strategy.
This strategy included bringing former citizens back to the country allowing them to hold two or three passports and enabling them to invest back into the country.
“The question we need to ask and this Government needs to look at is: Will those people have the confidence to do that again under this Government?
“You cannot have economic solutions in a bubble. It needs to be integrated with socio economic development. We need stability from an economic perspective.
“Fiji, like many other small island tourism countries, did suffer the effects of COVID-19 but we were in the top 5 fastest growing economies growing out of COVID-19,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“I think that needs to be taken into account. We need to be able to offer solutions.
“If you look at most of the tourism based countries, debt levels exceeded their GDP ratio to a 100 per cent. Fiji is about 80 per cent.
“There needs to be the ability for a country to think of new ways and solutions in getting rid of debt.
“Getting rid of debt means an increase in revenue.”
Questioning at CID
Meanwhile, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was questioned and released by the Criminal Investigations Department and is due to be questioned again today.
Chief of Intelligence, Investigation and Prosecution, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sakeo Raikaci confirmed that Mr SayedKhaiyum was questioned as the continuation of investigation in to the reports lodged by the Acting Supervisor of Elections in February in relation to various allegations of abuse of office and the use of forged documents.
He was questioned in the presence of his lawyers, Devanesh Sharma and Gul Fatima.