While the taxpayers have been told to tighten their belts, the government is living it up, said Dialogue Fiji Executive Director, Nilesh Lal in relation to the appointment of new ministers and assistance ministers last week.
He said never in Fijis history has such a high proportion of MPs been ministers.
“Such a bloated Cabinet is neither justified by the size of Fiji’s population nor the size of its legislature. A more appropriate Cabinet size for Fiji would be 12 to 15 Ministers,” said Mr Lal.
“What makes it difficult to accept is that this is happening at a time when ordinary Fijians have been subject to severe austerity measures, including increase in the VAT rate by 66%. So, while the taxpayers have been told to tighten their belts, the government is living it up.”
He added the rationale for such a large Cabinet is unclear, and the roles of Assistant Ministers remain particularly ambiguous.
“It is not evident what specific functions Assistant Ministers perform or how their positions add value to governance. This raises questions about the government’s priorities and whether this expansion is truly in the public interest.”
“At a time when critical issues such as poverty, the high cost of living, escalating crime, deteriorating infrastructure, and inadequate healthcare services demand urgent attention and financial resources, the government’s focus on expanding its Cabinet appears misguided.”
“This move appears to be a political strategy by the Prime Minister to consolidate his power at the expense of democracy and Fijian taxpayers.”
“This move means that the executive is further strengthened against the people, while taxpayers are left footing the bill.”
