by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer
The leader of the Fiji Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, criticizes members of parliament for prioritizing “self-enrichment” over urgent national concerns, despite being some of the wealthiest individuals in the country. He questions their decision to follow a recommendation from the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee that would provide them with new laptops and high-end mobile phones.
According to a report by Fiji Times, MPs are set to receive laptops running Windows 11 Business or Pro, along with the latest premium mobile devices. The laptops are specified to have a 14-inch screen, touch and pen capabilities, and storage options of either 512 GB or 1 TB. The mobile phone specifications are vaguely described as “high-end mobile devices – latest.”
Chaudhry challenged whether this should be the government’s priority when there are more pressing national issues that require funding. He pointed out that just recently, the general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union expressed concerns about the government not releasing half of the Free Education Grant for Term 2.
He argued that providing MPs with personal laptops and high-end mobile phones at the taxpayers’ expense is “completely unjustified” given the critical state of the national finances. The Labour Party noted that MPs already have access to computers and other resources at their parliamentary offices.
Earlier this year, MPs granted themselves significant pay raises and allowances despite public outcry, and the party believes they should be able to purchase their own devices.
“Every political party in Parliament receives F$325,000 annually from the national budget. Why not use this funding to equip party MPs with their own computers and mobile phones?” Chaudhry asked. He also reminded that MPs have the privilege of duty-free vehicle imports and are among the wealthiest “executives” in the nation. He concluded that this latest expenditure from the public funds reflects a troubling trend of self-enrichment at the cost of the taxpayers.
