I don't know and I cannot confirm if loans taken for NBF bailout are still being paid - Rabuka

SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says he does not know whether taxpayers are still paying the loans taken by the SVT government to bail out NBF and he also cannot confirm that loans as high as $50,000 were given out to people by the National Bank of Fiji in the 1980s and 1990s with securities like guitars and drum sets.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had stated in his budget response that almost $1 billion has been spent on the NBF disaster and taxpayers continue to pay for the loan with interest taken by Rabuka’s government.

The 2018/2019 National Budget has an allocation for the repayment of the loan taken for the NBF bail out.

He also highlighted that people were taking handwritten notes to the NBF management from the SVT government ministers and getting loans with securities like guitars.

When questioned by Fijivillage on the loan still being paid for the NBF bail out, Rabuka says he does not know but he thinks it should not be ongoing.

Rabuka also says that he cannot confirm that people were being given loans by NBF after taking handwritten notes from SVT ministers.

He says this was not the case for him.