The President of the Fiji Bus Operators Association, Richard Lal, has expressed the need for increased accountability from the chief executive of the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), who oversees the industry’s regulatory body. He dismissed claims made by acting FCCC chief executive Pranil Singh that the Association is personalizing its disputes with the regulator, asserting that their calls for accountability are based on the need for the responsible party to implement decisions previously made.
Lal emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “It is essential for executives like Mr. Joel Abraham to clarify the reasons for his decisions and any reversals, as these affect the entire industry.” Singh recently responded to an FBOA press release calling for Abraham’s resignation, which claimed he has delayed enacting already agreed-upon decisions.
According to Lal, some issues raised in the FBOA statement, including a school bus fare subsidy that received Cabinet approval, have been resolved. However, he highlighted an unresolved matter regarding a VAT adjustment error attributed to the former Land Transport Authority, which FCCC had agreed to rectify last year but later retracted.
He noted that the failure to address this VAT adjustment has resulted in significant losses for the bus industry over the past two years. Lal explained that in July 2023, Abraham had agreed to amend the VAT adjustment in bus fares, contingent on bus operators accepting an additional transaction fee imposed by the FCCC. However, bus operators rejected the fee, leading to a reversal of the VAT correction decision by Abraham.
Lal questioned why Abraham, who had previously agreed to make changes, only reconsidered after facing opposition from bus operators regarding the transaction fee. He also mentioned that the FBOA has filed a complaint with the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption and reached out to the FCCC Chair concerning Abraham’s interactions with the association.
He criticized Abraham’s prolonged negotiations with bus operators since the FCCC was given the authority to set bus fares, asserting that the recent developments surrounding the VAT adjustment error have warranted the complaint. Furthermore, the FBOA is currently pursuing legal action against the previous government for restricting appeals against FCCC decisions.
Lal mentioned that the current Coalition Government has agreed to amend the FCCC legislation to remove a clause that prevents any reviews of its decisions. He stressed that all citizens should have the right to contest the decisions of regulatory bodies like the FCCC in a democratic society.