Opposition member of Parliament Parveen Kumar has slammed the Government for lacking direction and losing its way due to “short-sighted decisions on many fronts”.
In his budget response, Mr Kumar said Fiji was losing the best and brightest Fijians who saw the discrimination and lack of a secure and progressive future in Fiji.
He said the budget had glaring omissions of counter measures to tackle inflation and the escalating cost of living, which severely impacted the daily lives of ordinary Fijians.
“We must acknowledge that the increase in debt, increase in expenditure and the slow economic growth are alarming indicators of our current trajectory.
As a country we need to ask ourselves: Where are we heading? What are the solutions?
“The honourable Prime Minister has proposed a Government of National Unity or a bipartisan approach, but what is the common ground? For the past two years, we have witnessed drama after drama instead of action. The people of Fiji are suffering because the country is not progressing no matter how much funds are allocated to ministries or how many policies are introduced, none of this will work without political stability.”
He said the way forward required real unity on the ground.
Mr Kumar also criticised the budget as lacking in positive growth, and said the previous government was about delivering on the ground, not just “big talk”.
“The people of Fiji have experienced what it means to have an all talk, no action government in the past 18 months.
“Sadly, the people of Fiji will continue to suffer as they will await relief from the cost of living pressures, compounded by lack of action to provide that needed relief.”
