Pension fund

NOW that the Parliament is in session I wish to re-ignite discussion on the FNPF (Fiji National Provident Fund) pensions debacle created by the FijiFirst government.

The FNPF pensioners have been reduced to being mere beggars as their legal pensions were illegally reduced to below the poverty line. To make matters worse the dictatorial government used a decree to prevent the affected party from going to court to seek redress. Is this what you call justice? The above action by the Bainimarama government was purportedly taken in line with an actuarial report (never made public) by some foreign experts.

The affected pensioners have consistently made an effort to right the grievous wrong heaped upon them. But nothing seems to have moved much further than mere lip service.

Therefore, on behalf of all affected pensioners I write this open letter to the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and the Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, to open fair and frank debate in the parliament so that some redress could be found. Time is the essence as the pensioners continue to die! Legally binding pension to be restored forthwith and the backlog to be paid in a lump sum. I am sure that the listening and caring coalition government will do the right thing.

Further, what is the fate of the rst time parliamentarians who were caught in the coup of 2006 and lost their life savings and their pensions. Should they not be deemed to have the full term & paid the nension ? So far this has been denied to the affected unfortunate rst time parliamentarians. This too must be rectified speedily if we want to classify as a modern democracy.

The above two issues are our right and we demand justice !

DEWAN CHAND

Namadi Heights, Suva