MP Kumar presses Biman Prasad on FCCC papers

Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar has accused former Minister for Finance and National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad of deliberately avoiding serious governance questions surrounding his co-authorship of taxpayer-funded research that positively assessed a regulatory body connected to his own ministerial responsibilities.

“Prasad’s response dismisses the concern without addressing it,” Ms Kumar said.

“The public deserves better and so does the integrity of our independent institutions.”

The issue arose during a Standing Committee on Economic Affairs hearing last week into the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (FCCC) 2023–2024 Annual Report.

Ms Kumar questioned why Mr Prasad, while serving as finance minister, appeared as a named co-author on research papers funded by $200,000 in public money through the FCCC. The papers positively assessed the regulatory environment linked to his own ministry.

The FCCC is a government watchdog responsible for overseeing prices and competition.

Its decisions on fuel, food and other prices directly affect the cost of living — areas overseen by the Ministry of Finance. The FCCC also receives public funding appropriated through the ministry.

Mr Prasad dismissed Ms Kumar’s concerns as political point-scoring, saying it was standard international practice to credit external researchers.

However, Ms Kumar maintained that the central issue was whether a sitting Finance Minister should validate research assessing a regulator connected to his own portfolio.

“Parliamentary scrutiny is not politicisation. It is part of democratic oversight,” she said.

FCCC chief executive officer Senikavika Jiuta acknowledged the concern and said future research would be credited to the organisation rather than individuals.