Mahendra Chaudhry, the leader of the Fiji Labour Party, has raised concerns about the priorities of Parliament following its decision to provide laptops and mobile phones to each MP. He emphasized that there are more urgent national issues that require funding.
Chaudhry pointed out that just recently, the general secretary of the Fiji Teacher’s Union highlighted that the government has yet to release 50 percent of the Free Education Grant for the second term. He criticized the provision of personal laptops and high-end mobile phones for MPs funded by taxpayers, stating that MPs already have access to computers, support services, and other resources at their parliamentary offices.
Furthermore, he mentioned that earlier this year, MPs granted themselves significant pay raises and allowances against public objection. He believes that they should be responsible for purchasing their own laptops and mobile phones. Chaudhry noted that each political party receives an annual budget of $325,000, and MPs enjoy duty-free vehicle imports, making them among the wealthiest and best-equipped officials in the country.