 NFP chums: Prasad and Narsey |  |
 THE PATELS: DAKSESH PATEL, the Australian based, non Fiji resident, son of NFP stalwart and businessman VINOD PATEL, was recently appointed by BIMAN PRASAD to the ATH Board. |  |
*He is still on the FNFP Board. The Government owns 49% of ATH and FNFP 51%. There is a clear conflict of interest, and DAKSESH PATEL must be fired from both the boards.
*In July 2022, while calling on the FFP government for transparency in the sale of Fiji Airways shares, Rabuka had expressed his concerns about the conflict of interest that many Fiji Airways board members had with people like Daksesh Patel and Sanjay Kaba.
*Biman Prasad, on the other hand, in December 2016, was calling for an inquiry into the Vinod Patel company, including another FFP funder R C Manubhai:
"Government must institute an independent investigation to determine how many millions of dollars of taxpayer funds has been paid to two hardware companies (Vinod Patel and R C Manubhai) despite them failing to supply building material under the Help for Homes Initiative, specifically designed for swift rehabilitation following devastation caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston."
Fijileaks to Finance Minister Biman Prasad: SACK DAKSESH PATEL
Conclusion
The statistical data in this Report is a mixture of positive news and negative news in all the areas of Employment, Average and Total Incomes, Unpaid Household Work and Leisure activities.
The economy has not grown healthily, discouraged by the 2006 coup and COVID. Females have increased their Labour Force employment more than Males who have gone backwards slightly. But the increases for Females have been in generally low income jobs.
The Female Average Incomes have not kept pace with Male Average Incomes, and hence the % Gender Gaps in Average Incomes have widened. Nevertheless, the increase in numbers employed in Paid Work have still been large enough to counter the reducing average incomes, resulting in the overall result that the Female share of Total Incomes has slowly been rising.
That trend may have stopped during COVID and may even have reversed. The next EUS (probably in 2023-24) will give some definitive statistics. Although Males are increasing their unpaid household work, they are still not doing enough household work. Females are still doing the bulk of the Unpaid Household Work in the Labour Force, the Student Population and Other categories such as the retirees.
The extra burdens imposed on Females in the Labour Force are resulting in extremely high levels of Total Work per week (in excess of 60 hours per week), especially for Employees, Employers and Self-employed. There is naturally a resulting reduction of time for leisure activities for Females, beginning from Primary School ages and extending into the working ages and retirement.
There is also a serious problem of Females not participating in sports beginning from primary school with the gender gaps with Males increasing into working ages and retirement. This lack of participation in sports has serious implications for their health and physical wellbeing. Part of the problem is the lack of physical sports facilities, as well as cultural attitudes. There is a problem of significant proportions of men devoting excessive time to kava gatherings, reducing their ability to undertake their fair share of unpaid household work.
The statistical data in this Report is a mixture of positive news and negative news in all the areas of Employment, Average and Total Incomes, Unpaid Household Work and Leisure activities.
The economy has not grown healthily, discouraged by the 2006 coup and COVID. Females have increased their Labour Force employment more than Males who have gone backwards slightly. But the increases for Females have been in generally low income jobs.
The Female Average Incomes have not kept pace with Male Average Incomes, and hence the % Gender Gaps in Average Incomes have widened. Nevertheless, the increase in numbers employed in Paid Work have still been large enough to counter the reducing average incomes, resulting in the overall result that the Female share of Total Incomes has slowly been rising.
That trend may have stopped during COVID and may even have reversed. The next EUS (probably in 2023-24) will give some definitive statistics. Although Males are increasing their unpaid household work, they are still not doing enough household work. Females are still doing the bulk of the Unpaid Household Work in the Labour Force, the Student Population and Other categories such as the retirees.
The extra burdens imposed on Females in the Labour Force are resulting in extremely high levels of Total Work per week (in excess of 60 hours per week), especially for Employees, Employers and Self-employed. There is naturally a resulting reduction of time for leisure activities for Females, beginning from Primary School ages and extending into the working ages and retirement.
There is also a serious problem of Females not participating in sports beginning from primary school with the gender gaps with Males increasing into working ages and retirement. This lack of participation in sports has serious implications for their health and physical wellbeing. Part of the problem is the lack of physical sports facilities, as well as cultural attitudes. There is a problem of significant proportions of men devoting excessive time to kava gatherings, reducing their ability to undertake their fair share of unpaid household work.
From Fijileaks Archive, 7 December 2016
Fijileaks: We should not be surprised with the behaviour of R C Manubhai
Ltd. According to the Auditor-General’s Report for 2013 (which Khaiyum only released after the 2014 election), $543,251 was paid to R.C. Manubhai for house materials that were not fully delivered to Cyclone Evan victims. "The recipients of the assistance could not commence with the rehabilitation works due to part supply of materials from the supplier despite payment already made." But Khaiyum did not act to stop R C Manubhai from being involved in the Help for Home Initiative after Cyclone Winston. He had either not read the A-G's 2013 Report or was rewarding one of the FFP financial donors.
Aiyaz Khaiyum also appointed four directors from R C Manubhai on boards (FDB, LTA, WAF chair and FRA chair) and one from Vinod Patel
(FEA chair). We say remove them, and launch special probe into their companies Help for Home Initiative payment scam. These companies must not be permitted to "ride out the storm" despite Khaiyum "shutting the gates on them after the horse has bolted" - with cyclone victims having swiped their Help for Home Initiative credit cards with them
"Government must institute an independent investigation to determine how many millions of dollars of taxpayer funds has been paid to two hardware companies despite them failing to supply building material under the Help for Homes Initiative specifically designed for swift rehabilitation following devastation caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston. The Attorney General and Minister for Economy’s announcement that hardware companies Vinod Patel and R C Manubhai will not be part of the 2nd phase of this Initiative and would have to pay a nominal interest and penalty due to their failure to provide hardware material to victims of TC Winston is simply not good enough. The AG’s statement is like “shutting the gate after the horse has bolted”. These two largest hardware companies in the country have already been paid millions of dollars after they swiped the Help of Homes Initiative cards despite knowing fully well that they did not have the rebuilding material. This is similar to obtaining money under false pretences." NFP Statement
"The 2nd phase of Help for Homes Initiative is worth $20 million. But the first phase was worth $88 million. The two largest companies of R C Manubhai and Vinod Patel would have enjoyed the largest share of funds worth $88 million allocated for the Initiative, given their dominance of the local hardware industry. It is only fair that an independent investigation is instituted into the Initiative to establish claims of possible corruption and mismanagement as well as why and how these two companies received payments without supplying building material."
December 5, 2016
MEDIA RELEASE
Independent investigation needed into Help for Homes Initiative
Government must institute an independent investigation to determine how many millions of dollars of taxpayer funds has been paid to two hardware companies despite them failing to supply building material under the Help for Homes Initiative specifically designed for swift rehabilitation following devastation caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.
The Attorney General and Minister for Economy’s announcement that hardware companies Vinod Patel and R C Manubhai will not be part of the 2nd phase of this Initiative and would have to pay a nominal interest and penalty due to their failure to provide hardware material to victims of TC Winston is simply not good enough.
The AG’s statement is like “shutting the gate after the horse has bolted”. These two largest hardware companies in the country have already been paid millions of dollars after they swiped the Help of Homes Initiative cards despite knowing fully well that they did not have the rebuilding material.
This is similar to obtaining money under false pretences. Any ordinary citizen who would have done the same thing, would have been swiftly charged and hauled before the Court. It also shows Government’s calling for expression of interest and selecting companies to supply material appears to have been a cosmetic exercise because it failed to ascertain whether each company had the stock necessary to supply material. And in the event it was out of stock, what was the timeframe to obtain, import and supply material?
Cyclone victims are still waiting for supply, six months after they visited these hardware outlets and purchased building material under the Initiative. Many are still living in tents and temporary shelters, and even under the open sky because the small tents are being used for safekeeping of their household items.
But the hardware companies have already been paid. The AG is treating this as a trivial matter when it is an issue of rebuilding lives. He should be transparent and accountable to the taxpayers and inform the nation how much each of the two hardware companies ( Vinod Patel & R C Manubhai) have been paid from the $88 million provided under phase one of the Initiative. And what is the total amount paid to each of the two companies for non-supply of material.
The AG must also revisit his statements on this issue from April 2016 and how he glorified the whole Initiative and the ability of Government and hardware companies to help the victims swiftly rebuild their homes. At the same time Government moved the False Information Bill in Parliament, which was enacted on 26th April, prescribing heavy fines and imprisonment terms for people who falsified claims of damages to their properties.
The Opposition had then pointed out in Parliament that while Government was going beyond the Crimes Decree to penalise people under the False Information Act, there was no legislation prescribing strict compliance by hardware companies to the Help for Homes Initiative.
We had also pointed out that Government should have accepted our suggestion of providing a sum of $5,000 each to TC Winston victims to rebuild homes. This would have allowed people to shop for building material at different hardware outlets and would have been more efficient and effective.
The 2nd phase of Help for Homes Initiative is worth $20 million. But the first phase was worth $88 million. The two largest companies of R C Manubhai and Vinod Patel would have enjoyed the largest share of funds worth $88 million allocated for the Initiative, given their dominance of the local hardware industry.
It is only fair that an independent investigation is instituted into the Initiative to establish claims of possible corruption and mismanagement as well as why and how these two companies received payments without supplying building material. Government seemingly ignored concerns raised by the Opposition very early into the Initiative that cyclone victims were not being supplied the material they paid for with the Help for Homes Initiative cards.
No business must ever be allowed to charge money for service it cannot provide. To do so would be considered a scam.
Authorised by: -
Hon Professor Biman Prasad
NFP Leader
MEDIA RELEASE
Independent investigation needed into Help for Homes Initiative
Government must institute an independent investigation to determine how many millions of dollars of taxpayer funds has been paid to two hardware companies despite them failing to supply building material under the Help for Homes Initiative specifically designed for swift rehabilitation following devastation caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.
The Attorney General and Minister for Economy’s announcement that hardware companies Vinod Patel and R C Manubhai will not be part of the 2nd phase of this Initiative and would have to pay a nominal interest and penalty due to their failure to provide hardware material to victims of TC Winston is simply not good enough.
The AG’s statement is like “shutting the gate after the horse has bolted”. These two largest hardware companies in the country have already been paid millions of dollars after they swiped the Help of Homes Initiative cards despite knowing fully well that they did not have the rebuilding material.
This is similar to obtaining money under false pretences. Any ordinary citizen who would have done the same thing, would have been swiftly charged and hauled before the Court. It also shows Government’s calling for expression of interest and selecting companies to supply material appears to have been a cosmetic exercise because it failed to ascertain whether each company had the stock necessary to supply material. And in the event it was out of stock, what was the timeframe to obtain, import and supply material?
Cyclone victims are still waiting for supply, six months after they visited these hardware outlets and purchased building material under the Initiative. Many are still living in tents and temporary shelters, and even under the open sky because the small tents are being used for safekeeping of their household items.
But the hardware companies have already been paid. The AG is treating this as a trivial matter when it is an issue of rebuilding lives. He should be transparent and accountable to the taxpayers and inform the nation how much each of the two hardware companies ( Vinod Patel & R C Manubhai) have been paid from the $88 million provided under phase one of the Initiative. And what is the total amount paid to each of the two companies for non-supply of material.
The AG must also revisit his statements on this issue from April 2016 and how he glorified the whole Initiative and the ability of Government and hardware companies to help the victims swiftly rebuild their homes. At the same time Government moved the False Information Bill in Parliament, which was enacted on 26th April, prescribing heavy fines and imprisonment terms for people who falsified claims of damages to their properties.
The Opposition had then pointed out in Parliament that while Government was going beyond the Crimes Decree to penalise people under the False Information Act, there was no legislation prescribing strict compliance by hardware companies to the Help for Homes Initiative.
We had also pointed out that Government should have accepted our suggestion of providing a sum of $5,000 each to TC Winston victims to rebuild homes. This would have allowed people to shop for building material at different hardware outlets and would have been more efficient and effective.
The 2nd phase of Help for Homes Initiative is worth $20 million. But the first phase was worth $88 million. The two largest companies of R C Manubhai and Vinod Patel would have enjoyed the largest share of funds worth $88 million allocated for the Initiative, given their dominance of the local hardware industry.
It is only fair that an independent investigation is instituted into the Initiative to establish claims of possible corruption and mismanagement as well as why and how these two companies received payments without supplying building material. Government seemingly ignored concerns raised by the Opposition very early into the Initiative that cyclone victims were not being supplied the material they paid for with the Help for Homes Initiative cards.
No business must ever be allowed to charge money for service it cannot provide. To do so would be considered a scam.
Authorised by: -
Hon Professor Biman Prasad
NFP Leader
