Opposition MP Parveen Kumar has questioned the effectiveness of Government spending on infrastructure agencies, saying persistent service delivery problems and questionable projects highlight the need for stronger planning and accountability.
Speaking during the 2026-2027 National Budget debate in Parliament on Monday, Mr Kumar said agencies including the Water Authority of Fiji, Fiji Roads Authority and Land Transport Authority received significant funding but continued to face challenges.
“Water disruptions continue, roads deteriorate faster than they are repaired, and public transport remains unreliable for many,” he said.
Mr Kumar said agencies needed stronger leadership, capacity and long-term planning to deliver reliable services.
He also raised concerns over projects where he believed public funds had not been used effectively, using the Semo Rd repairs as an example.
“The Semo Road repairs saw a Bailey Bridge being constructed then removed.
“Who is counting the cost of this? Why was the construction done, then taken down — without serving its intended purpose?”
He also questioned delays on a road project along the Kings Rd highway between Naovalau 1 and 2 villages in Ra.
“Someone joked that the Ra Province was digging the road for their oil exploration. Or maybe someone had found gold.”
Mr Kumar claimed the project had involved extensive excavation for nearly two years without a completed road.
“The public in Ra and travellers are astonished that no road has been built, but the digging continues endlessly.”
He said such examples reflected the need for greater scrutiny of Government expenditure.
“Money badly spent is the root cause of the warning signals in this budget.”
