Former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry says the salary increases recommended by the bipartisan Parliamentary Emoluments Committee are outrageous and a slap on the face of the poor.
The Fiji Labour Party Leader said the report recommends the Prime Minister’s wage be increased to $320,000, a 21 percent pay rise, while the President will receive an extra 42 percent.
Chaudhry said Ministers will get up to 35 percent and Assistant Minister’s 66 percent increases in their wage respectively.
The Speaker will collect a 47 percent pay rise while the Leader of the Opposition gets a bonanza of a $104,000 (108 percent) increase in their wage.
“In their election campaigns, the Coalition parties had promised to significantly reduce the excessively high salaries and allowances set by the Fiji First government.”
“They have obviously changed their minds and are going back on their promises just as they have done with other promises, such as reducing the cost of living and legislating a fair minimum wage”, Chaudhry said.
He said in fact, the increase of high-end wages is in itself inflationary and will only aggravate the galloping cost of living.
Chaudhry said this will also, no doubt, have a ripple effect on the long pending wage and salary negotiations in the public service, which will reduce the capacity in the government’s budget to provide essential services to those in need.
He said this is policy-making at its most self-indulgent without consideration of its detrimental impact on the people of Fiji. While the general population has to endure austerity measures in depressed economic conditions, Ministers are queuing up for pay increases.
Chaudhry said the Report should be referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs for public consultation.
“Views must be sought from the people, the trade unions and employers. If these pay rises stand, we would hope that minimum wage restructuring will receive the same amount of attention,” he said.
