FIJI: Court orders Daily Post to pay fund arrears

FIJI: Court orders Daily Post to pay fund arrears

COURT ORDERS DAILY POST TO PAY FUND ARREARS

SUVA (Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's Daily Post newspaper has been ordered by a court to pay nearly F$55,000 in Fiji National Provident Fund dues within six weeks, local newspapers report.

The Daily Post reported on 25 January 2002 that contributions owed by the newspaper to the national pension fund in a long-standing controversy were from January 2000 and 75 percent of this amount had already been paid up.

However, the Fiji Times reported that the deductions were accumulated from March to September last year.

Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) lawyer Salim Razak said the newspaper had outstanding contributions of $32,331.38 and an extra $22,588 was charged for making late contributions, according to the Fiji Times.

A third charge related to failure to form monthly contribution schedules.

Publisher Yashwant Gaunder told Magistrate Laisa Laveti that he had only joined the company last June.

"It's quite a large amount. I'll give the company time to settle the amount," Ms Laveti said.

The case will be called on March 7 for settlement.

* The Fiji Government has a controlling interest in the daily newspaper, one of three in the Fiji Islands.

+++niuswire

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