Labour rejects excuse for Ministerial travel allowance

Anumber of them did not even attend the Economic Summit because they were on overseas visits.

The Fiji Labour Party rejects the excuse by the Prime Minister that he is still picking up $3000 a day in overseas travel allowance because the matter has to be first considered by the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee and then endorsed by Parliament.

“This will take some time,” Mr Rabuka said in response to a question from a caller during his interview last week with Fiji Village (30/4).

“We do not buy this excuse. At the time of COVID, all ministers and MPs had taken a voluntary 10% pay cut. Why can’t the same procedure be followed now? They can take a voluntary reduction immediately,” said Labour leader Mahendra Chaudhry.

“After all, this was one of the major election promises made by the partners in the Coalition Government. The people expect the ministers to implement an immediate cut in overseas allowances in line with this promise. “We notice that the ministers are travelling a lot. A number of them did not even attend the Economic Summit because they were on overseas visits.

“If this is how the coalition government intends to conduct itself, then there is no difference between them and the FijiFirst Government.

“There is no need to wait for the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee which can do its work when it is appointed. The committee must be independent, as in the past, and its recommendations approved by Parliament,” Mr Chaudhry said.

National Minimum wage

On the question of the national minimum wage, Mr Chaudhry said he was surprised that the Prime Minister admitted he did not know whether it had been implemented or not.

“This is a matter his Labour Minister should have followed up on immediately after it became effective 1 January 2023 and reported to Cabinet. We notice the Labour Minister is hardly in the country,” he said.

He has already made three overseas trips since his appointment and is currently in China. Mr Chaudhry said the issue of ministerial visits overseas was another matter that needed to be addressed in the interest of accountability and transparency.

Every time a minister goes on an overseas trip, there should be a government statement on what the visit is all about and the duration of the minister’s absence from Fiji On returning home, a report should be made to Parliament on the visit.