Parliament has passed the Prime Minister’s motion to reduce the rates payable for overseas travelling allowances for the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Leader of the Opposition and Members of Parliament from December 1st 2023 although the Opposition opposed the motion saying that they should wait for the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee report.
While tabling the motion, Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka says the current overseas travelling allowances under the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014 for the Prime Minister is UNDP subsistence allowance plus 100 percent, for Cabinet Ministers UNDP subsistence allowance plus 50 percent, for Assistant Ministers UNDP subsistence allowance plus 25 percent, Leader of the Opposition UNDP subsistence allowance plus 50 percent, and for Members of Parliament (including Deputy Speaker, Government/Opposition Whip and Leader of the Government in Parliament UNDP subsistence allowance plus 25 percent.
Rabuka has moved this amendment to the determination to take effect from 1st December this year until such time that the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee tables its report in Parliament and the subsequent debate and vote has taken place.
The Prime Minister says prior to the promulgation of the Parliamentary Remunerations law in 2014, the salaries of interim cabinet ministers were a State secret and paid through a private accounting firm despite being the subject of audit query.
Rabuka says soon after assuming office in December last year, he announced his intention for the reduction of the ministerial salaries and travel allowances. He says unfortunately this was not operationalised because of some legal opinions received by them.
Rabuka says the current formula put in place by the past government for calculating these allowances are excessive and the motion seeks to correct that anomaly.
He says the formula proposed today significantly reduces the daily allowance while remaining adequate for the officials concerned.
The Prime Minister says the 2016 formula was exorbitant.
28 MPs voted for the Prime Minister’s motion, 5 did not vote while 21 MPs abstained.
Wednesday 22/11/2023
Leader of Opposition Inia Seruiratu has opposed the Prime Minister’s motion to reduce the overseas travelling allowances for the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and Members of the Parliament now, and questioned the Prime Minister’s timing for bringing up the motion to reduce the rates payable for Overseas Travelling Allowances and also asked if the Finance Minister forced him to put forward this motion.
While speaking on the motion tabled by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Seruiratu questioned the objective of this motion.
He says they are confused because they had already submitted their mandate early this year.
He also says that its contradictory that what they will decide today will be implemented on the 1st of December 2023 while the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee work will be completed next year.
The Opposition Leader also asks if this is happening to satisfy the Finance Minister, Professor Biman Prasad who has been talking about this issue in the media.
He also asks who is in charge of the coalition government.
Debate continues on the Prime Minister’s motion to reduce the overseas travel allowances.
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