Parliamentary Standing Committee member Premila Kumar, has questioned the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission over why taxpayer-funded research papers and publications carried the names of academics and external parties instead of the organisation itself.
During yesterday’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs hearing on FCCC’s 2023–2024 annual report, Kumar raised concerns over consultancy and professional fees of around $200,000 and sought clarification on the work carried out under those payments.
FCCC Chief Executive Officer Senikavika Jiuta told the committee that the funds covered consultancy work by a chief economist who continued working with the organisation after returning to Scotland, as well as the publication of 10 research papers.
Kumar then questioned why the names of individuals, including Professor Biman Prasad, Paresh Narine and Joel Abraham, appeared on some of the published papers, despite the work being funded by taxpayers through the FCCC.
Insert: Premila Kumar on individual names in FCCC's publications
She says the research was funded by public money and questioned why individuals were receiving recognition for work based on information and data sourced from the FCCC.
In response, Jiuta acknowledged the concern and said the issue had also been raised internally after she joined the organisation last year.
She says she has been informed that the individuals listed were credited as authors after contributing to and revising the papers, but agreed that future publications should instead recognise the FCCC as the organisation providing the data and research.
Kumar says the matter should be corrected in the interest of transparency and indicated that it could form part of the committee’s recommendations.
