Govt to enable Bureau of Stats to collect ethnic data – Prof. Prasad

The government has decided to make the Fiji Bureau of Statistics more independent and will review the Statistics Act and adequately resource the organisation so that they are able to collect ethnic data.

This has been highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Statistics Professor Biman Prasad while debating the iTaukei Trust Fund Board 2019 Annual Report.

Professor Prasad says the Bureau of Statistics will also get proper analysis done and have the capacity to give the government information that will allow them to make good and targeted policies for all those in different parts of the country or according to different ethnic groups.

Professor Prasad further says whenever they as Opposition raised issues that directly affected the indigenous community, those that are sitting on the other side labelled them as racist but they do not know that the Great Council of Chiefs was abolished only because they refused to support the 2006 coup.

He says the iTaukei Trust Fund Board does not receive any government funding but they know that the FijiFirst Government took away $20 million that was for the Fund as grants.

Professor Prasad says all that talk from FijiFirst MP Mosese Bulitavu about the FijiFirst government supporting the Fund to look after the interest of the iTaukei community is all hogwash.

Bulitavu says the FijiFirst government did not leave any indigenous people behind and took them forward together.

He says the FijiFirst Government via the iTaukei Trust Fund continued to ensure the advancement of the iTaukei people economically and it was the mandate of the government to protect the Fund.

Bulitavu says the Fund helps the current government move forward with the objectives the FijiFirst had and new ideas should come from the government.

Meanwhile, Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau says there is also an objective in the report to boost Fiji’s cultural sector through the provision of scholarships especially in subjects such as language and culture which is good.

He also says the other objective is leadership, entrepreneurial and business skills which is critical especially for iTuakei governance and management of resources.

Ro Filipe says they have to ask the question that what has FijiFirst done for iTaukei business and what percentage of the GDP is attributed to the iTaukei.

The Minister says this is the data they need and it has not been provided.