The Fiji High Court has refused to grant an application by the Fiji Times which sought to declare unlawful the decision by the Ministry of Communications to select an approved print media company for Government print advertising.
The Fiji Times building in Suva Photo: Matthias Süßen
The Fiji Times application related to the Expressions of Interest called by the Fiji Government last year that selected the Fiji Sun as the approved print media company for Government advertising for 2016.
The Fiji Times contended the decision was unlawful and in breach of the Procurement Regulations.
The High Court ruled that the orders sought by the Fiji Times were moot, superfluous and redundant given that the government had called for a fresh tender through which Fiji Sun was selected as the approved media company for government advertising for the 2016-2017 financial year.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Communications Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum welcomed the decision of the High Court given that the government followed an open tender process to obtain the most competitive terms and conditions for government advertising.
"This decision was in line with the conditions clearly stated within the government tender," according to Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
"He went on to say that the decision does not mean that statutory bodies, state owned enterprises and Government-related entities cannot take advantage of the favourable terms and conditions secured by Government through an open tender process," he said.