Opposition using the word dictatorship like they are buying Chinese lollies from the shop – AG

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum today tabled the Fiji Institute of Accountants Bill under Parliamentary Standing Order 51 which he says seeks to address the requirements of today’s accounting profession in terms of registration and regulation.

Sayed-Khaiyum says they have been working on this Bill for 2 years and have had numerous consultations with the Fiji Institute of Accountants and there is a need to quickly expedite the processing of this new Bill given the lengthy discussions.

Sayed-Khaiyum says with the inclusion of the new categories of membership to this institute, more people will be able to practice in the accounting profession and will be able to provide services in the remote areas too.

He says at the moment we have the big four or five firms who can do everything and there are a lot of people who are good book keepers but they cannot go and sign on accounts.

He says the new law allows these people to practice and allows small businesses to get their accounts done.

The Attorney General says this is democratizing the accounting profession and is providing services to ordinary Fijians who could pay about $200 to get their cash flows done.

However National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad says he knows the Attorney General talks about the content of the Bill and uses it to justify the urgency of the Bill through Standing Order 51.

Prasad says the use and abuse of Parliamentary Standing Order 51 can be debated for a long time and it seems Government is sometimes drunk with some kind of legislative power.

SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula says this is a good Bill but the only reason why they are opposing it is because it is coming under Standing Order 51.

Nawaikula says Standing Order 51 allows the Government to deny the constitutional and democratic rights of every citizen to be part of the law making process and has been abused many times.

He says 90 percent of the Bills are now coming under Standing Order 51 which is basically dictatorship.

Minister for Infrastructure Jone Usamate says the Parliamentary Standing Orders are the rules of the game.

In his right of reply, Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Opposition is using the word dictatorship like they are buying Chinese lollies from the shop.

Sayed-Khaiyum says that he loves the fact that the Opposition loves to use the word dictatorship readily.

The Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee and will be debated in the next sitting of Parliament.