Use of [Fiji] Public Funds: can the permanent secretary inform the taxpayers what are the total emoluments of the Prime Minister and Attorney-General? ~Letters to Fiji Time Editor UNDER the 2013 Bainimarama Constitution which the government is supposedly following, as with the 1997 Constitution, civil servants are expected to show the highest standards in accountability and transparency to taxpayers, for the use of taxpayers funds. The Finance Ministry permanent secretary is the chief financial officer, who is properly appointed by the Public Service Commission, and who bears ultimate responsibility for the proper disbursement of taxpayers funds annually. The seriousness and uniqueness of these responsibilities have been emphasised by the recent doubling of the salary of the permanent secretary, and this is one salary increase which may be justified by the magnitude of taxpayers funds and the large public debt managed by this one position. Can Mr Filimoni Waqabaca therefore inform the taxpayers (a simple yes or no through these columns will do) whether some government ministers salaries have been paid at any time since 2007, through a private accounting company? If the answer is yes can the permanent secretary inform the taxpayers what are the total emoluments of the Prime Minister and Attorney-General? Can the chairman of the Public Service Commission (or any of the individual board members who may believe in public accountability) inform the public whether these are proper questions that taxpayers can legitimately pose to the permanent secretary, and which must be answered, given the Public Service Commissions own guidelines to civil servants for accountability and transparency? PROFESSOR WADAN NARSEY Suva
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:14:02 +0000
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