Shania Shayal Prasad 
Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau [file photo]
Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau has dismissed allegations made by Goundar Shipping Limited against the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, saying there are no grounds to support them.
The company, in a post on its official Facebook page, claimed gender discrimination following the reported revocation of licenses held by one of its female captains.
It also accused MSAF board members of misuse of public funds, corruption, bias in vessel registration, and conflict of interest.
In response, Ro Filipe says the claims appear unfounded and confirmed that the MSAF board and management are carrying out their duties as required by law.
“As a minister, my role is clearly specified in the Act, which is to approve shipping licenses. But the operational elements, I leave it to the board and the management. And they are doing that quite well. So it’s their responsibility, mandated responsibility. And it would not be proper to interfere on such issues.”
Ro Filipe also confirmed no formal investigation is underway, as the matter was raised only on social media and not through official channels.
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