[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]

Parliament has this afternoon passed a motion to significantly reduce the rates payable for overseas travelling allowances.

As per the amendments to Part B of the Parliamentary Remuneration Act of 2014, the reduction will apply to the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, assistant ministers, the Leader of Opposition, as well as other members of parliament.

Rabuka had promised to review government ministers’ salaries and the travel allowance since coming into power last December.

“This issue was raised in the cabinet when I came back from my first trip to Kiribati, and I realized that I did not use the allowance given to me. I said, What are these allowances for? Why do we get them if we are not going to need them? I ask the staff in the office; we’ve been working on it, and we have arrived at this.”

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook] 

Rabuka says they made an attempt to reduce the allowance earlier but were told to follow the process.

He says those who started from the bottom of their career know the difficulties faced by those who are there now.

He says those in high positions now should and are comfortable needing to reflect.

28 MPs voted for the motion, five did not vote, and 21 MPs abstained.