Fiji and the Pacific region have a wealth of experienced journalists which the Fijian Government could use for its public relations services.
Opposition member of Parliament Ro Filipe Tuisawau made the comment while moving a motion to reduce the allocation of $800,000 to Qorvis Communications — a global public relations company which carries out public relations services for the Fijian Government.
Ro Filipe also sought clarification from Government on the types of services provided for the Government, claiming it had conducted other PR works for other dictatorial regimes and it was a drain on Fiji’s national resources to engage their services.
Economy Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz-Sayed Khaiyum stated the company provided general public relations services to the Government.
“They provide general public relations services to the Government of Fiji, domestically and internationally which include COP23 and post-COP23 efforts,” he said.
“They do provide those type of services for Fiji and in respect to a number of situations as they do have quite a lot of contacts, for example this COVID-19, they do a lot of messaging with overseas counterparts, they have positions in various editorials and those obviously help us to position ourselves.
“You would have also noted honourable member that there has been a reduction in their allocation which was $1.1 million now it’s $800,000.”
Ro Filipe claimed that the company’s budgetary allocation could be better used on the health and education of the people of Fiji rather than being wasted on a company with poor reputation which worked with dictatorial regimes around the world.
