Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka reiterates that there is no deceit on anybody’s part.

This comes after questions raised by Fijians regarding who will bear the cost of the recently gazetted increase in salaries and allowances for Members of Parliament.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the comments made by PM whereby he said that a Bill to amend the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014 will be prepared by the Solicitor General’s Office, and it will undergo public consultations and independent review, before it is considered by Cabinet and Parliament.

In his statement, he mentioned that at this stage it is premature to comment on the proposals from the Emoluments Committee.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka

However last night he released another statement where he confirmed that the salary adjustments for MPs had been gazetted.

The PM reiterated that there was no intention of lying and highlighting the significant miscommunication regarding the enactment of a salary increase for members of parliament, attributing the oversight to improper advice that led to him misreading the law.

He adds that the miscommunication was an error rather than a planned action.

“And that is the effect; the acceptance of the report by Parliament makes that law. So that is going to be published, and we will have to act in accordance with that. That is an executive decision of the Parliament.”

Rabuka says that the Parliament Speaker and the Secretary-General to Parliament had alerted him about the gazette.

Rabuka in his statement also highlighted that as the 2024-2025 Budget is being finalized before it is tabled in Parliament on Friday 28th June 2024, and then debated in Parliament from 8th to 19th July, this is a window where Members of Parliament will have opportunity to review or reconsider their decision made last week 24th May 2024.

As leaders, Members of Parliament must consider the effect on the country of their vote held 24th May in Parliament.