FICAC staff paid salaries in advance, Parliament committee told

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) pays its staff salaries up to 10 days in advance, unlike other civil servants, Parliament was told yesterday.

Acting Commissioner Lavi Rokoika revealed to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts that the unusual practice had been in place since the agency’s establishment.

“One of the issues that I noted when taking office was the fact that the pay period for the Commission was 10 days in advance, 7 or 10 days in advance, compared to the other civil servants,” Ms Rokoika said.

Committee member Sachida Nand questioned why FICAC staff received special treatment.

“Regarding payment in advance, I don’t think anyone in Fiji does payment in advance. And I'm surprised to hear FICAC pays its staff,” Mr Nand said. “I wouldn’t do it, and no other civil servants get it. So, what prestige do they carry to be paid in advance?”

Ms Rokoika said she wanted to immediately stop the payments once she discovered them but was told by her finance manager that any change could only take effect in January or July next year.

“I believe that that was in the system since its inception. That’s why I've made inquiries with the manager of finance that we need to be like everybody else and not be special and be paid in advance,” she said.

Mr Nand called for the Auditor General’s office to investigate whether paying salaries for services not yet delivered was lawful under financial management rules.

Ms Rokoika added that the system also created human resource complications when staff left the organisation, particularly with final payments.