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, served as an occasion for the Prime Minister to acknowledge the efforts of Government Ministers and Assistant Ministers over the last two years in power. Spouses were also in attendance at the event.
Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry criticized the dinner, labeling it as ‘lavish’ and ‘sickening,’ and further arguing that such extravagance is embarrassing given Fiji’s financial dependence on aid from Australia and New Zealand. This criticism has highlighted concerns over the Government’s monetary decisions.
Minister for Finance Biman Prasad directed all comments to Mr. Rabuka, who did not provide any statement when approached. Questions have been sent to the Prime Minister, and a response is awaited.
Defending the event, Mr. Bulitavu stated that it was budgeted under the Prime Minister’s Entertainment Account, which has been a longstanding allocation. He added that Mr. Chaudhry should be the last person to question Prime Minister Rabuka, noting that Chaudhry was convicted in April 2014 for breaching the Exchange Control Act by investing money outside Fiji without informing the Reserve Bank, resulting in a fine of US$1.1 million.