CONFLICT OF INTEREST: How much did UNDP consultant KEVIN DEVEAUX got paid as an 'Independent Consultant' to review and endorse the massive and disgusting pay rises for MPs, Speaker and President?
*The NFP leader BIMAN PRASAD must tell the Fiji Public how much Deveaux was paid to write up his own 'Independent Report' for the Special Emoluments Committee, chaired by the bonking and weed-taking Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya?
*As we pointed out in our previous posting, Tabuya and Radrodro were brutally bonking each other in Room 233 a month after they were appointed to review the salaries and allowances of MPs.
TWO FINGERS TO PAP AND RABUKA: The NFP nag (snake) Biman Prasad outsmarted PAP's snake Rabuka by voting (along with three other of NFP MPs, Tikoduadua, Qereqeretabua and Kiran) against the REPORT.
*Did Prasad violate Cabinet collective responsibility and Coalition deals with Sitiveni Rabuka?
*As for Agni Deo Singh, lets hope he will not press a wrong electrical switch in Parliament, and get electrocuted in the process. |  |
Minister for Employment Relations, Agni Deo Singh who abstained from voting in the motion to increase the salaries and benefits of the President, Speaker, Ministers, Leader of the Opposition and Members of Parliament on Saturday, says he made a mistake and has written to the Speaker to change his vote to voting against the motion. When questioned by fijivillage News on him abstaining, Agni Deo Singh says he has written to the Speaker on Friday night as he mistakenly thought the red cross button was meant for voting against the motion however it was for abstaining from voting. Singh says the entire parliamentary system went through an upgrade and he was not familiar with the new system. He says he agrees 200 percent that there should be no salary increases, and he is waiting for his vote to be changed. Source: Fijivillage News
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Political Sociologist Professor Steven Ratuva has described the increase in salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament as unethical. He criticized the process, noting that in countries like Australia and New Zealand, the determination of parliamentary salaries is done by an independent body established by the State.
He highlights that in Fiji, the Emoluments Committee endorses recommendations made by a particular consultant, which he finds problematic.
Prof Ratuva emphasizes that while the UNDP can conduct training and governance projects with Parliament, determining the salaries and allowances of MPs is a sovereign issue.
He questioned whether the consultant performed this work as part of their duties with the UNDP, which would be an ethical conflict of interest or as an independent consultant which would also be a conflict of interest due to their long-standing relationship with the Parliamentarians.
“The perception of independence, the perception of professionalism is very important here, what we have seen here is a lot of conflict of interest and the parliamentarians themselves are given the chance to endorse their own salary, that’s very unethical, there’s fraudulent.”
Prof Ratuva proposed that Parliament should pass an Act to establish a Remuneration Authority to determine the salaries of Parliamentarians, asserting that this is the appropriate method.
He argues that no political system claiming to be democratic and transparent should be involved in determining its own salaries.
The Fijian academic also points out the ethical implications, noting that Fiji is currently facing various issues such as drug trafficking and consumption, unemployment and poverty, which are affecting the economy and people’s well-being.
Prof Ratuva adds that while there is talk about the growth of tourism, there is a disproportionate focus on the corporate sector economy with insufficient attention to what is happening at the grassroots level.
DEMENTED EXPLANATION: Is this man - Rabuka- in right frame of mind?
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka states that no salary changes have come into effect yet, following the recent parliamentary motion regarding increases for members of Parliament.
Rabuka says the motion they passed last week was merely the acceptance of the report from the emoluments committee.
He explains that any actual increase in salaries will require the introduction of a bill and the enactment of legislation by Parliament, as mandated by Section 80 of the Constitution.
“The emoluments committee did their job. They brought it back to the Cabinet. Cabinet decided, no, it must be decided on by Parliament. So, it went back to Parliament. And that’s what we saw. Before it is executed, or before it becomes an act, it must be brought down as a bill. A bill to amend the 2014 Parliamentary Emoluments Act.”
This clarification comes amidst public concern and confusion over the potential salary hikes for various parliamentary roles.
Rabuka assures that the increase is not immediate and would be subjected to further legislative processes.
The Prime Minister also notes that most votes in favor of the salary adjustments came from the People’s Alliance Party.
In response to concerns about the timing and necessity of the salary changes, Rabuka says that while the issue could be revisited later, it is currently not in effect.
“It can be done later. This thing has not been effective. It’s not been effective. We have the budget coming up. The wage minimum wage is still current. And the Minister, one of the Ministers who voted against or abstained, is the Minister responsible for it, for the minimum wages. Maybe because he hasn’t been able to finalise the issues from the workers.”
Rabuka says the motion they passed last week was merely the acceptance of the report from the emoluments committee.
He explains that any actual increase in salaries will require the introduction of a bill and the enactment of legislation by Parliament, as mandated by Section 80 of the Constitution.
“The emoluments committee did their job. They brought it back to the Cabinet. Cabinet decided, no, it must be decided on by Parliament. So, it went back to Parliament. And that’s what we saw. Before it is executed, or before it becomes an act, it must be brought down as a bill. A bill to amend the 2014 Parliamentary Emoluments Act.”
This clarification comes amidst public concern and confusion over the potential salary hikes for various parliamentary roles.
Rabuka assures that the increase is not immediate and would be subjected to further legislative processes.
The Prime Minister also notes that most votes in favor of the salary adjustments came from the People’s Alliance Party.
In response to concerns about the timing and necessity of the salary changes, Rabuka says that while the issue could be revisited later, it is currently not in effect.
“It can be done later. This thing has not been effective. It’s not been effective. We have the budget coming up. The wage minimum wage is still current. And the Minister, one of the Ministers who voted against or abstained, is the Minister responsible for it, for the minimum wages. Maybe because he hasn’t been able to finalise the issues from the workers.”
