I Was Ill Advised, PM Rabuka Tells

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka acknowledged that he was misinformed and that there was a misunderstanding of the law regarding his earlier statement about conducting public consultations on the Special Committee on Emoluments report before it becomes law.

He admitted that this initial approach was based on incorrect advice.

Mr Rabuka’s statement comes as Parliament gazetted the changes to salaries, allowances and benefits for the President, the Speaker, Leader of Opposition and Members of Parliament on Thursday night.

This means it is now binding on the Executive arm of Government to implement as required by the Parliamentary Remunerations Act of 2014.

The changes, most of which are increases in salaries and benefits, come into effect on August 1, 2024. It expires on December 31, 2024.

Earlier in the week Mr Rabuka stated that Fijians would be given a chance to have their voice heard in the consultation process before it was made law.

But the gazette that was published on Thursday meant that it is now law.

“It’s been brought to my attention by the secretary-general and Parliament Speaker that the fact of approval of the report is different to what I have been advised on,” Mr Rabuka said.

“The acceptance of the report by Parliament makes that law, that’s going to be published and we will have to act in accordance with that,” he said.

Mr Rabuka said he did not lie to the public earlier, but he was misinformed by his advisors on the process that would be taken.

“It’s not a lie, we misread the law. I was not properly advised, and the law was brought to my attention yesterday. It’s no deceit on anyone’s part.”

Mr Rabuka said he accepted the criticisms levelled against them because of the inconsistency in communication.

“If they blame us, they blame us, what has happened has happened, we cannot go back.

“We have exercised our duty and if Parliament is concerned, if people are concerned, they’re the right in criticising what we have done.”

He maintained his personal choice not to take the pay rise.

“That is a personal choice. I and two other ministers have decided that we will not be taking the raise.”

He did not reveal who the two other ministers were.

But this decision is likely to contradict Section 14 of the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014:

14 (1) No person may act contrary to a determination or fail to observe any criteria or limits specified in a dtermination.

(2) Subject to any other enactment, no person may receive remuneration in excess of that specified in respect of the person (or group of persons to which the person belongs) in a determination.

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