THE former FijiFirst government deliberately ignored the drug trafficking that plagued the country for the past decade, according to Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad.
He claimed there was a deliberate attempt to ignore it because there were people in positions of power and positions of influence who were involved in it.
Prof Prasad said the recent rise in drug seizures and crime was the result of years of neglect finally being exposed under a new Government.
He said the ongoing drug problem did not appear overnight but had been building for years, hidden from the public by the authorities and overlooked by the previous government.
“This thing was exploding. People in the previous government knew it was there,” Prof Prasad said on
The Lens@177.
“Obviously, they were turning a blind eye. They didn’t want negative news.”
He claimed media outlets were also afraid to report on the issue at the time.
“Now, all that is gone. And we have taken it head-on and in a very decisive manner programs to ensure that we address it.”
Prof Prasad said $10million has been allocated in the national budget to tackle the social impact of drugs, including rising cases of HIV and AIDS, with New Zealand providing additional funding support.
He said the Government had inherited a deep-rooted problem involving not only traffickers and users but also members of law enforcement.
“These were the ecosystem, the infrastructure that we inherited that was there.
“It’s only now that we, as a government, have been able to identify, expose them and talk about it. Media has had the freedom to report and put the issues live to the people.”
Prof Prasad also said some critics falsely believe the surge in drug cases began under the coalition.
“The magnitude of this problem doesn’t happen overnight.
It doesn’t happen in one or two years. It has been happening for years now.”
