The 2024–2025 Fiji National Budget plan has already been announced by the time you’re reading this, and I’m sure experts from every single industry are already going over the various budget items, dissecting them more than I ever could.

Having worked in different capacities for many national budgets in the past, I somewhat understand the challenges that the government faces when making a budget.

A national budget takes a lot of hard work to complete, and everyone has to be involved.

It is one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, tasks that all governments have a responsibility to undertake.

The budget must not only meet the needs of the day-to-day but also plan for developments that will grow the economy and make people’s lives better.

It must almost predict the future sometimes, and most times events will occur that will throw all your plans out the window; a good example is tropical cyclone Winston and COVID-19.

The budget must be for the people with the needs of the people first, but it also has to be balanced with the needs of the nation as a whole, and in my experience, there is never going to be a scenario where everyone is happy.

I vividly remember that a few years ago, the government faced the challenge of increasing public participation to include a wider range of views in the national budget process.

As a communications consultant, one of our core tasks was to find innovative solutions to improving the lives of ordinary Fijians, primarily implementing technology to do this.

Let’s face it, expertise and outside-the-box thinking are missing from the public sector, which created the need for this.

In response, I introduced the multi-platform initiative officially named “online consultations.”.

The idea was that any Fijian, no matter their background or geographical location, should be able to provide input on what they would like to see in the budget.

This initiative allowed people to give their input through whichever medium they found comfortable, effectively widening the net for different demographics to participate.

Whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, government websites, online forms, email, post, or direct delivery, the goal was to ensure that as many people as possible could contribute their diverse perspectives.

The data was then given to the Ministry of Economy for their input.

This approach not only broadened participation but also enriched the budgeting process with a multitude of viewpoints, making it more inclusive and representative.

Unless I’m gravely mistaken, I believe this approach continued to be employed even after the government changed, which is heartening because it was very effective in increasing participation, especially from minorities.

At the end of the day, we must put aside our differences to progress our people forward, because, let’s face it, the people most impacted by policies, disasters, etc. are the grass-roots people who make up the backbone of Fiji’s economy.

While a wide range of viewpoints are indeed being captured regarding the crafting of the national budget, we must understand and accept that not everyone will be happy all the time.

Not every single suggestion can be taken on board, and every government will have a different strategic approach to what they think will better the lives of the people.

Many who aren’t happy will not be shy to voice this opinion online but please remember that a lot of hard work has gone into this budget from thousands of people who are loyally serving Fiji from all sectors.

A good budget is a well-rounded budget that addresses the broad needs of the people and

One key area that needs to be highly prioritised is diversifying Fiji’s economy.

By investing in sectors such as agriculture, technology, and renewable energy, we can reduce our dependence on a single industry and create a more resilient economic structure.

Education should always be a high priority, and this goes without saying. An educated population will make Fiji competitive in the global arena.

Public-private partnerships can play a pivotal role in achieving national development goals. Collaborating with private sector entities can bring in additional expertise, resources, and innovative solutions to public sector challenges.

Remember that consultants from the private sector changed the way consultations were conducted.

While it is essential to consider global economic trends and best practices, the budget must be tailored to Fiji’s unique context.

Policies and investments should reflect our cultural, social, and economic realities to ensure that they are effective and sustainable.

I recently had a disappointment when the term alternative development was used, and I loved it.

Pivoting away from Western models to more traditional and cultural models that encourage sustainable practices that have served us for decades.

That being said, leveraging technology in government processes can lead to significant cost savings and improved efficiency.

Digital transformation in public services, such as e-governance and online platforms for public engagement, can streamline operations and make government services more accessible to all citizens.

I still believe we have a lot of work to do in this area.

However, as we invest in infrastructure and technology, it is equally important to strengthen social safety nets.

Ensuring that vulnerable populations are supported through programs like unemployment benefits, healthcare, and education is essential for a balanced and inclusive approach to national development.

At the end of the day, the national budget is meant to make your lives better and our role in democracy is to assess whether this has been achieved.

We must put aside our political differences and examine the budget from this lens.

A country’s people will always be its greatest asset, more important than any infrastructure or industry is our human capital, and we must never forget this.

Until next week, take care and be safe!

• ARNOLD CHANEL is an investor and business executive with years of tech expertise. He can be contacted on ceo@vanguardtech.pro. The views expressed in this article are his and not of this newspaper.