Pacific

Renewed calls in Fiji for government to explain Airbus deal

13:36 pm on 16 September 2013

There are renewed calls for the Fiji Government to be more transparent on its purchasing of new aircraft from Airbus.

Nirmal Singh, the spokesperson for the People's Democratic Party, says the Government has a duty of accountability to the people of Fiji.

Earlier this year the Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said there was a sudden and unexplained switch from Boeing aircraft, and he believed commissions were paid by Airbus.

Nirmal Singh says the Fiji National Provident Fund was involved, as well as Waqavuka Financing Ltd, and the aircraft are not owned by the people of Fiji, as they were told by the Government.

"There is no parliament, no sanction was given by the parliament to get into this transaction, so the onus is on the government to explain to the people of Fiji what was the process involved, why the decision was made to buy Airbus, how all our FNPF money is secure and I think it is in the public interest that they make this information available to the people of Fiji."

Nirmal Singh.