Crossbencher Member of Parliament Mosese Bulitavu has defended the special dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
The dinner, held on Tuesday evening at Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel, was an event to recognize the efforts and dedication of Government Ministers and Assistant Ministers over the last two years. The event also included the attendance of the ministers’ spouses.
On Wednesday, former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry criticized the dinner, calling it ‘lavish’ and ‘sickening.’ He argued that such extravagance is particularly embarrassing given Fiji’s frequent requests for budget support from Australia and New Zealand.
This criticism has brought attention to the Government’s financial decisions. Minister for Finance Biman Prasad directed all questions to Prime Minister Rabuka, who did not comment when approached. Questions have been sent to the Prime Minister’s office, and a response is awaited.
Defending the event, Mr. Bulitavu stated that it was funded under the Prime Minister’s Entertainment Account, a budgetary allocation that has existed for years. He also criticized Mr. Chaudhry, noting that the Fiji Labour Party leader was convicted in April 2014 for breaching the Exchange Control Act by investing money outside Fiji without notifying the Reserve Bank, receiving a fine of US$1.1 million.