Meri Radinibaravi

Provisions in the Employment Relations Bill No. 27 of 2025 that turn employment breaches into criminal offences could have “dangerous and far-reaching consequences” for Fiji’s business community. Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) board member Watisoni Nata said the Bill proposed to make certain civil matters such as dismissal disputes, missing termination letters or minor […]

FIJI Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) acting commissioner Lavi Rokosuka says they are unable to share information with enforcement agencies such as the Inland Revenue Department because it’s prohibited by law. She said Parliament should consider passing laws that would allow the controlled information-sharing among enforcement agencies. “We’re unable to share any information because there’s […]

ACTING commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) says several factors contribute to the withdrawal of corruption cases from court — from ageing files and fading memories to witnesses dying or migrating. While answering questions from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Lavi Rokoika said some of the cases being […]

PARLIAMENT has been urged to reform the Proceeds of Crime Act as its complex procedures delay the recovery of stolen or illicit assets. Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) acting commissioner Lavi Rokoika told the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that under current laws, FICAC must obtain separate approvals from the Attorney-General’s […]

ACTING Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) Commissioner Lavi Rokoika has called for the creation of a comprehensive Anti-Corruption Code to modernise Fiji’s legal framework and strengthen public confidence in the fight against corruption. Speaking before the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, she said the country’s current anti-corruption laws were fragmented, scattered […]

IN a move aimed at speeding up investigations and improving efficiency, the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has scrapped its Corruption Prevention Unit which had more than a dozen officers nationwide. While presenting the institution’s 2022-2023 annual report before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, acting commissioner Lavi Rokoika said the changes […]

ACTING Fiji Independence Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) commissioner Lavi Rokoika has told the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that a new monetary threshold has been introduced to guide how cases are prioritised and allow them to concentrate only on high value cases. She said under the new policy, FICAC would immediately refer […]

A call has been made for the removal of a new Form 9 provision in the Employment Relations Bill No 27 of 2025, as it allegedly bypasses the successful mediation process that resolves most employment disputes. Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation board member Watisoni Nata told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs that Fiji’s mediation […]

New enforcement powers proposed for labour officers under the Employment Relations Bill No 27 of 2025 could breach constitutional protections and open the door to abuse, says the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association. Association chief executive officer Fantasha Lockington told the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs the Bill granted labour officers powers that “in some […]

Local ferry operator Goundar Shipping Limited appears to be on a collision course with Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau after the Minister announced that he would not approve the registration in Fiji of the company's new inter-island fast ferry, Captain Inoke.