WHEN a government minister enters a village on an official visit, he or she must refuse tabua, yaqona, mats and garlands that are offered as gifts.

This was the submission made by Nadi resident Abel Camillo during the Standing Committee on Justice, Law, and Human Rights public consultation yesterday.

Referring to the Code of Conduct Bill, Mr Camillo said government representatives were paid to do their work.

“They are there for something and they are causing a burden to the community being visited,” he said.

“I plead with villagers not to prepare any magiti (feast) or traditional ceremonies because the government minister is being paid to perform his duty.

“If you go to Rotuma, we treat you like kings because we have everything there, but the Nadi setting is different. It’s an urban area and people are suffering, people are struggling, but they still give the best of themselves.

The tabua is a very expensive item and yaqona is expensive too.

“So, the code of conduct is termed as bribery if you enter an area and they give you mats, they give you a tabua or cash for a request for you to install a water meter or a tank in the village.”

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Code of Conduct Bill will establish clear standards for public office holders and strengthen Fiji’s governance frameworks.

The Bill proposes to impose strict penalties on public office holders who do not comply with regulations around asset declarations.