Chinese Government provides FJD 151,267.13 grant for Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School Renovation Project (Linked to Project ID#64207)

On June 27, 2007, roughly six months after the December 2006 military coup in Fiji, the Chinese Government provided a $5 million cash grant to the Government of Fiji (as recorded in Project ID#64207). These monies were deposited into a trust fund controlled by Fiji’s Office of the Prime Minister. Then, on May 22, 2007, Fiji’s Cabinet approved the utilization of the $5 million cash grant to finance the construction and upgrading of rural roads and other rural projects. FJD 151,267.13 was earmarked for the Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School Renovation Project. The purpose of this project was to renovate classrooms and teachers’ quarters and construct some new teachers’ quarters at Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School in Tailevu Province. On December 15, 2007, an MOU was signed between the Office of the Prime Minister of Fiji and the RFMF Engineers regiment. It specified that the RFMF Engineers would be responsible for the implementation of the project. Construction began on December 17, 2007 and the project was expected to be completed by the beginning of the new school year (September 2008). However, it is unclear whether or when this project was completed.

Additional details

According to Fijian law, any monies that are deposited into government-controlled Trust Funds are not the property of the state and not utilized for the purpose of government. As such, these monies are to be deposited in separate bank accounts and accounted for separately from public money and other money (since they are being ‘held in trust’). Fiji’s Office of the Prime Minister operates one Trust Fund that is financed by the PRC Government and another that is financed by the Taiwanese (ROC) Government. The PRC Government, in effect, entrusted its $5 million cash grant to the coup leader (Frank Bainimarama), who became Fiji’s Prime Minister.

Number of official sources

2

Number of total sources

4