The chairperson of Transparency Solomon Islands says self serving MPs are effectively legalising corruption in Solomon Islands.
This comes after MPs were given a 3.5 percent pay rise on April 1st the same day that tax was reinstated on their previously tax free salaries.
Ruth Liloqula said the action meant MPs would continue to receive the same amount of money they had been receiving on tax free pay effectively negating the reinstated tax.
Ms Liloqula said this was a very selfish action and while they might argue it is legal she said it does not make it right.
The Solomon Islands flag
Photo: RNZI
Transcript
RUTH LILOQULA: They didn't base it on the increase of the economy or the status of the economy, they based it on the advice coming from the land revenue. The question asked was "if we want to keep the same salary as we did last year, how much would we increase their salaries to maintain the status quo?" This was the question asked to the Inland Revenue and the response came from the Inland Revenue that for you to maintain the salary - the tax-free salary per month they were getting, when they were tax free they were able to increase it, so that's what they did.
KOROI HAWKINS: In comparison, have there been any pay rises for the public service in recent times?
RL: There have not been any public service pay rises that we know of. And normally when a public service payrise comes in it's based on cost of living adjustments and the MPs are supposed to get a salary when public servants get a salary increase, but this has not happened in this case. And I think the saddest thing for us in Transparency Solomon Islands is that more and more the institutions that are set up to look after these things - the membership of this is politically chosen to the government or he government that is put in there like the Lance Board Commission, it is a good idea but currently they're put in an ex-member of parliament to be the chairperson of the Lance Board, and this is the kind of thing that's happening.
KH: Is what they've done legal?
RL: It is legal...they have the right to make an decisions they make - more or less the court of appeal is saying they are a mini parliament of their own.
KH: But it's not right, you're saying? It may be legal, but it's not right?
RL: It's not right. They should be operating under the basic fundamental principals where it is spelt out in the constitution that we should make decisions for the benefit of everybody and not for the benefit of a few groups or certain groups of people and more and more we are seeing that happening - the legalised corruption, you know the legalised abuse and misuse of entrusted power.
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