The Sugar Industry Tribunal paid the Ministry of Sugar’s electricity bill in 2017.
This was revealed by Tribunal registrar Timothy Brown while presenting their annual reports before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Mr Brown said the 2017 electricity bill has yet to be paid back by the ministry which shares an electricity meter box with the tribunal at their Lautoka office.
“We have just been able to identify in this analysis that in 2017, we paid the electricity bill for the Ministry of Sugar who is housed in the same building as we are,” said Mr Brown.
“We just have to bill them and get them to pay us back. This was the analysis brought to us by the new accountant we found.”
Mr Brown said the tribunal has also been footing the costs of four sugar-related unions.
“In the sugar industry, there are four unions which started way back in the 2000s, and they had four welfare funds for the four different unions.
“These four unions were for general employees, mechanics, the clerks and the staff, and in their agreements, they had asked the industry commissioner to be the chair of these organisations.
“So, they operate from our office, and they pay rent, but at that time they did not have their bank accounts, and they were being paid through the Sugar Tribunal and these were recovered from the welfare funds.
“And these are funds that are still owing.”
Mr Brown said these funds would be recovered this year.
Committee chairperson Esrom Emmanual called on the Sugar Ministry to install a separate meter and for the four unions to set up their own bank accounts.
“Just tell them to go and raise their own meter,” said Mr Emmanuel.
