ANNUAL INCOME, ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THE PRIME MINISTER, REAR ADMIRAL (RETIRED) VOREQE BAINIMARAMA By L. Qarase, former Prime Minister of Fiji. The Prime Minister of Fiji, Rear Admiral (retired) Voreqe Bainimarama has declared that he receives an annual salary of $230,000-00 and allowances of $48,750-00, a total of $278,750-00. For the year 2006, as the last elected Prime Minister of Fiji, I received an annual salary of $106,967-000 and allowances amounting to approximately $18,000-00. This was a total of $124,967-00. This means that during the last seven years, on the basis of the just published information, the current Prime Minister’s salary increased by a massive $123,033-00 or 115%. His allowances went up by $30,750-00 or 170%. These huge increases are unprecedented since independence in 1970. And when one considers that inflation during the last seven years is around 45% Mr. Bainimarama’s real purchasing power is enormous. Also note that in a survey carried out in 2010/11 it was revealed that since 2007 paid employment declined by 3% while incomes declined by a massive 30%. A careful examination of the Prime Minister’s published income, assets and liabilities indicates that his declaration is incomplete and misleading. Income from term deposits and other savings are not shown in his income statement. His savings with the FNPF, which would be a significant part of his assets, are also not revealed. These could be in the order of up to $500,000.00, based on certain calculations. But at any rate he needs to declare them. In addition, with large salary inflows during the last seven years Mr. Bainimarama has very little “net assets” to show for it. Of course the statement of assets and liabilities as at a particular date would not reveal items such as gifts to children and other transfers. The persistence of reports that Mr. Bainimarama has been paid an annual salary of approx. $1.3million will remain in circulation unless there is full disclosure of his salaries from at least 2010 onwards. According to widely-circulated information, it was in 2010 that arrangements began for an accountant closely-related to one of Mr Bainimarama’s senior colleagues, to take responsibility for payment of ministers’ salaries. The people of Fiji who pay him and the ministers are entitled to be given the full details. Mr. Bainimarama now enjoys a luxury lifestyle that his predecessors could only dream about. He has achieved this at a time when hundreds of thousands of ordinary people are struggling to put food on the table. Salary increases are usually related to job performance. The extremely high remuneration package for the Prime Minister should be measured by this. However, some key economic and other national indicators portray a dismal picture of failure by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. For instance, a recent media release from the Ministry of Labour stated that 30,000 people had registered with the Ministry as unemployed. Of this number 12,000 hold qualifications from the University of the South Pacific and other tertiary institutions. In other words, we are producing graduates who cannot find work. The number of people without jobs represents the highest unemployment figure since 1970. Poverty has increased alarmingly during the last seven years. It is estimated that people living below the poverty line total 45% or more of our population. The cost of living has soared over the same period. Some basic food prices have increased by more than 100%. This is the reality that poor families have to deal with each day as they try to meet their basic needs. Fiji’s economic growth for the last eight years to the end of 2014 is likely to be a mere 1.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) per annum. This would be the worst economic performance for any Government since independence. While the Prime Minister and the elite few in Government are busily amassing wealth, far too many of our citizens are getting poorer by the day. The people of Fiji should be reminded that in a parliamentary democracy, the salaries and allowances of Government Ministers, including the Prime Minister, are determined and approved by an independent Committee on Parliamentary Remuneration. In the case of the current unaccountable government, the salaries and allowances of Ministers, including the Prime Minister are, presumably, determined and approved by the Ministers themselves. The big increase in the Prime Minister’s salary as published is absolutely unwarranted in the light of his record of national failures. LikeLike · · Share
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:04:19 +0000