Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday told Parliament that a screenshot was being circulated on social media asking the CEO of FRIEND Fiji to pay her employees first before harping about the poor people on the streets.
He made the comments while responding to Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua’s motion that Parliament approve a sum of $50 million from the COVID-19 support aid funds provided by the governments of New Zealand and Australia be disbursed as income support to the unemployed and affected small and medium-sized businesses as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic.
“Somebody had highlighted and sent a screenshot around about the CEO of FRIEND that maybe it’s better that she pays her employees first before she goes out and harps about payment of the poor people on the streets,” Mr Bainimarama said.
He said FRIEND Fiji and the Civil Society Organisation were the proxies of the Opposition.
“We all know that FRIEND and CSOs are the proxy of the Opposition, you don’t have to tell us, we know that.”
Outspoken Opposition MP Salote Radrodro who spoke in support of the motion said FRIEND Fiji was a well-established NGO. She said the Government was undermining a well-established organisation.
“They do a lot of work on the ground, they work with communities, the very communities the Government is trying to reach,” she said.
Ms Radrodro said the CSO Alliance had made genuine calls which landed on deaf ears.
