Rabi council pays FNPF debt

[Stacey King]

by Serafina Silaitoga FIJI TIMES ONLINE Wednesday, July 28, 2010
THE Rabi Island Council has started paying its $70,000 debt to the Fiji National Provident Fund.
Council member Manate Tabakea said the new council had resolved that $5000 be paid to FNPF per month.

"We started paying up towards the end of last year and that has continued this year as we try to get rid of all the debts piled up from past years.

"When we came into office, we aimed to pay all debts of the council, especially our FNPF contribution because it has been long overdue," Mr Tabakea said.

Details of payments made so far could not be provided because records were not available at the Suva office. Efforts to contact the office on the island proved futile.

Mr Tabakea said the financial problems faced by the council had crippled its commitment to other development areas such as assisting island students with scholarships.

"Now the council can only pay scholarships for students who are about to graduate with two units only and not more because of limited finance.

"We need to pay the debts before we can smoothly run the council financially and increase financial commitment to the council's respective obligations," Mr Tabakea said.

Last year, workers of the council complained about non-payment of FNPF and called on the council to come out clean with its financial records.