Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry has raised concerns about Parliament’s priorities following its decision to provide each Member of Parliament with a laptop and mobile phone. He emphasized that there are more significant national issues that require funding.
Chaudhry referenced a recent complaint from the general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union, who noted that the government had not yet released 50 percent of the Free Education Grant for Term 2. He criticized the decision to supply personal laptops and high-end mobile phones to MPs at the taxpayers’ expense, arguing that MPs already have access to computers, staff services, and other resources in their parliamentary offices.
Furthermore, he pointed out that earlier this year, MPs had granted themselves substantial pay raises and allowances, which faced strong public opposition. Chaudhry stated that MPs should be able to buy their own laptops and phones.
He also highlighted that each political party receives $325,000 annually from the national budget, along with duty-free vehicle imports for MPs, making them among the wealthiest and best-compensated officials in the country.