A spirited debate took place in Parliament last Thursday on an allocation of $1.675 million for purchasing a new Fiji House in Wellington, New Zealand.
Opposition MP Ketan Lal raised a question, querying whether the purchase of Fiji House would address staffing shortages at the High Commission.
“Will this purchase include an increase in staff to support the mission’s work?” Mr Lal asked.
Minister for Finance Prof Biman Prasad responded by saying the $1.675 million allocation, approved by Cabinet, was strictly for the purchase of the new Fiji House.
The discussion took a turn when Mr Lal proposed an amendment to increase the allocation by $1 million.
Prof Prasad interjected with a quip, adding the call to increase the allocation by $1 million was “silly”.
“The Cabinet made the decision. This is the allocation. Why would we need additional funds? Is the honorable member suggesting we give a gift to the seller?”
Ketan Lal withdrew the motion.
