Dialogue Fiji says they are deeply concerned by the Prime Minister’s decision to expand the Cabinet to an unprecedented size of 36 Ministers and Assistant Ministers.
Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal says never before in Fiji’s history has such a high proportion of MPs been Ministers.
He says such a bloated Cabinet is neither justified by the size of Fiji’s population nor the size of its legislature.
Lal says a more appropriate Cabinet size for Fiji would be 12 to 15 Ministers.
He says the Cabinet expansion comes on the heels of significant salary increases that the MPs approved for themselves last year, where each Minister now earns a minimum of $200,000 annually and each Assistant Minister earns $120,000.
Lal says these salary hikes, combined with the expanded size of the Cabinet, have created the biggest ministerial salary bill in Fiji’s history.
The Executive Director says what makes it difficult to accept is that this is happening at a time when ordinary Fijians have been subject to severe austerity measures, including increase in VAT by 6 percent.
Lal says this is being done when the taxpayers have been told to tighten their belts and the government is living it up.
He says the rationale for such a large Cabinet is unclear, and the roles of Assistant Ministers remain particularly ambiguous.
The Executive Director further says it is not evident what specific functions Assistant Ministers perform or how their positions add value to governance.
He says this raises questions about the government’s priorities and whether this expansion is truly in the public interest.
Lal says at a time when critical issues such as poverty, the high cost of living, escalating crime, deteriorating infrastructure, and inadequate healthcare services demand urgent attention and financial resources, the government’s focus on expanding its Cabinet appears misguided.
He says this move appears to be a political strategy by the Prime Minister to consolidate his power at the expense of democracy and Fijian taxpayers.
Lal says this move means that the executive is further strengthened against the people, while taxpayers are left footing the bill. He also says Home Affairs Minister, Pio Tikoduadua has become the biggest loser in this Cabinet reshuffle where he had tried to set a high standard for ministerial accountability by offering to step down temporarily from the Immigration Ministry after an issue arose in the Ministry.
Lal says instead of being recognised for his integrity and high standards, Tikoduadua has been permanently stripped of his portfolios, which have now been handed to political allies of the Prime Minister.
He says this decision undermines the principles of accountability and sends a disheartening message that integrity is not valued in Fiji’s political leadership.
Lal further says the expansion of the Cabinet is not only fiscally irresponsible but also morally indefensible, given the pressing needs of ordinary Fijians.
Dialogue Fiji is urging the government to prioritise these critical issues over political expediency and to adopt a more rational and responsible approach to governance.
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