The Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics received an allocation of $90.8million in the 2025-2026 national budget.
That includes $54m to fund the operations of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS).
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Biman Prasad said $4m was allocated for the milestone payments related to the new Financial Management Information System (FMIS) that went live on August 1 last year.
He said in tandem with that is the allocation of $1.8m to implement a new budget system aimed at automating the budget process that should be completed in the next 12 months.
“As part of the public financial management (PFM) reform agenda, the Ministry of Finance has undertaken a comprehensive reclassification of budget expenditures in the 2025-2026 budget,” Mr Prasad said in his budget address yesterday.
“This reform is guided by international best practice and the recommendations of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments.”
Mr Prasad said a key change included the removal of all ‘R’ (requisition) items that previously required ministerial or permanent secretary approval before spending.
He said that shift was being piloted to streamline operational processes, reduce bureaucratic delays, and improve efficiency and accountability in budget execution.
“Ministries and departments will now be entrusted with greater operational flexibility, underpinned by stronger monitoring and policy oversight from the Ministry of Finance.”
Mr Prasad said $4.12m was allocated to completer phase two of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES).
The data collected will provide Government with a detailed picture of income level, expenditure patterns, and an updated poverty estimates that will help guide public policy and government interventions, he said.
“We have also allocated $740,000 for preparatory works for the 2027 population census. This census will be crucial in capturing the demographic, economic and social trends that will shape our national planning over the next decade.”
The ministry was allocated $96.9m in the 2024-2025 budget.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated June 28, 2025
