Surveyors Warned Against Unethical Work Practices

Surveyors have been warned that they will be penalised if they are caught engaging in unethical practices.

The warning was made by Fiji Institute of Surveyors (FIS) presi­dent Paserio Samisoni during the Global Surveyors Day at the Bowl­ing Club, Suva yesterday.

Mr Samisoni revealed the FIS Board had suspended three sur­veyors who were alleged to have forged signatures and collected payments on incomplete survey plans.

Mr Samisoni added there had been cases where local organisa­tions had paid surveyors a mini­mum fee without checking the work.

“The board have suspended these surveyors until the issue has been rectified, otherwise signing the plans without checking the works is unprofessional,” Mr Samisoni said.

“I am aware that there are tech­nicians in the ministry and other authorities who pay surveyors a minimum fee to sign plans without checking the work or not knowing that the technicians do not work for that company.

“The board has also received complaints on incomplete surveys and we have done random checks on surveys carried out by techni­cians and signed by registered sur­veyors.

“People have collected so much money but work is still pending and it has been going on for years.”

Mr Samisoni said: “This is the unprofessional work that is hap­pening in our country, the board is very much conscious of what is happening.

“Surveyors should get together and awaken ourselves from this poor quality work that is being forwarded to the secretary general office.

“We seem to be a laughing stock and people look at us and don’t trust us anymore.”

Code of Ethics

Mr Samisoni said surveyors needed to follow the code of eth­ics.

“My advice to the young survey­ors do not get involved. One day you will be caught,” he said.

“Where is the dignity of survey­ors, I speak with authority as a board member and as the presi­dent please raise another level of performance and to become real professional.”

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Ashneel Sudhakar said he had been receiving complaints and has assured the FIS Board that the ministry will look into the is­sues.

“Everyday we have been receiv­ing from members of public that they have paid a particular survey­or some money and they have run off and do not complete the work,” Mr Sudhakar said.

“When the survey plan is not lodged we can’t issue leases, please get your acts together, get it right, if you don’t issue leases that is loss of revenue for the Govern­ment as well.

“You are part of a much larger picture of a larger effort to build a better Fiji, the integrity of the Lands surveyor information is the strength and backbone of any de­velopment

He added: “Therefore survey­ors as professions should always maintain professionalism and eth­ical work standards.”

There are 37 registered surveyors in Fiji, of which one is a woman.

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