Political party leaders and the head of the country’s biggest workers’ representative organisation have labelled the Fiji National Provident Fund’s acquisition of 30.02 per cent of Fiji Airways as “shocking and deeply troubling”, “unanticipated”, “clouded in financial secrecy” and “highly questionable”.
The People’s Alliance leader Sitiveni Rabuka’s advice to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was “wake up and take control of Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum”.
Fiji Trades Union Congress national secretary Felix Anthony said FNPF “clearly do not recognise that it is workers’ funds that they are trustees of and not an extension of the Ministry of Economy”.
National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad said Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was “a minister whose multiple portfolios make him responsible for both FNPF and Fiji Airways. Why cannot he be upfront and disclose how much FNPF paid to acquire 30.02 per cent shares in the airline?”
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said the acquisition was “highly questionable”.
