Scrutiny over Tourism Fiji funds

Concerns regarding accountability and governance at Tourism Fiji have surfaced in the Fijian Parliament, with questions raised about delayed financial reporting and the oversight of public funds. The Standing Committee on Economic Affairs has been reviewing annual reports dating back nearly a decade.

Committee Member Premila Kumar expressed dismay that some board members appointed to Tourism Fiji refused to sign the annual report and financial statements. She found the delay in reviewing reports from 2015 to 2018 difficult to justify, given the substantial public funding the organization receives. Kumar warned that such delays undermine transparency, oversight, and accountability, and expressed disappointment that former board members declined to sign statements despite receiving allowances.

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I do recognize the change in board members, but I’m saddened to hear that the board members who were appointed to Tourism Fiji refused to sign the annual report and the financial statements.

Tourism Fiji Chief Financial Officer Vimlesh Magan cited several unusual events as reasons for the delays in audited financial statements. These included two fire incidents, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a significant cyber incident approximately 1.5 to 2 years prior that resulted in the loss of all online data. Magan noted that the actual delay began with a change in the Tourism Fiji board.

Despite these explanations, committee members emphasized that Tourism Fiji must demonstrate how its tourism spending benefits the broader economy, local communities, and small operators, rather than focusing solely on promotional activities. They called for future reports to include board assessments, conflict of interest declarations, clear performance targets, and measurable outcomes.

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A cyber incident that happened one and a half to two years ago kind of wiped out our online data. We lost all the data, so that also took us time to recover. The actual delay started when there was a change in the Tourism Fiji board.