4 Nov 2014

Fiji opposition says govt must explain spending

4:15 pm on 4 November 2014

The Fiji opposition says the onus is on the Public Accounts Committee to have the government explain glaring omissions from the financial statements for the years 2007 to 2013.

Fiji's Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, sitts among soliders at thanksgiving service for release of UN peacekeepers.

Fiji's Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, at thanksgiving service for release of UN peacekeepers. Photo: RNZ / Philippa Tolley

The recently released Auditor General's reports are filled with criticism of the lax practices of the military regime, which was led by Frank Bainimarama.

One such is the payment of ministerial wages through a private accounting firm rather than the Ministry of Finance, which was also led by Mr Bainimarama.

But there is no detail on why this was done and the Auditor General admonishes the government for failing to properly document what it was up to.

The opposition leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa, says the government has been talking about transparency and accountability and it must front up to the people and explain how their taxes have been spent.

"If it was not well used why was it not best utilised in the best interests of the country and it is the Public Accounts Committee that has to come up with their report and let the public know whether these monies were well utilised."