Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad has defended the appointment of New-Zealand based chartered accountant Nitya Reddy as chairman of the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) board. Criticisms about Mr Reddy’s appointment stem mostly from concerns about how he will fulfil his role while being based overseas.
This appointment has also drawn parallels with the appointment of previous Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Vishnu Mohan, a role he held even as he moved to Canada. Prof Prasad said both situations were different.
“As a Government, we have changed the immigration regulations. We are trying to entice our people, diaspora, and their descendants, to come back to Fiji,” he said.
“To come and work, live and reside and do business and be part of the country. Now, if somebody is a Fiji citizen living in Australia or New Zealand, what’s wrong with them being appointed on a board or you know, getting a job back in Fiji?
“I mean, we are struggling as a country. We are losing skilled people. Many of our people who’ve gone overseas acquired qualifications, experience, and knowledge, which would be beneficial to us as a country.
“We should applaud the fact that there are people who are out there, willing to serve on boards, on other committees, to help provide us the skills and knowledge that they would have.” Prof Prasad said as a Government, they wanted to “welcome all our people” living overseas.
He said this would open opportunities for them not just to come to Fiji, but also to retire and invest, or to come and work.
“If they can, if they are appointed by the Government on certain boards or positions, there’s nothing wrong with it is absolutely nothing wrong with them. In fact, we should encourage them.
“Vishnu Mohan was an expatriate.
“At least this Government is transparent, open. Of course, there are people who are serving on boards, who were part of political parties.
“As long as we are looking at people with merit. Sometimes, it’s a very difficult thing to define, who’s got what set of skills but generally, we should welcome our people, who want to come back who understand the country who want to help.
“I don’t see any contradiction, in fact, is quite different to what the previous government was doing.”
