The suggestions and challenges identified in the 2024-2025 National Budget submission by the Fiscal Review Committee have been welcomed by the Ministry of Finance.
Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said there were several recognitions by the Fiscal Review Committee on what the Government had done in the past 18 months since taking up office.
“The Fiscal Review Committee has also put out some challenges to the Government,” Prof Prasad said.
“Many of those we agree that in the last 18 months, given the mess that we inherited from the last 15 or 16 years, some of the policy reforms are still to be achieved and that is a continuous process for the Government to work on.
“In some areas, they are right, we could have done better, in terms of reforming some of our processes, particularly with respect to immigration, process and backlogs that we had, not only from last year but from the past three years.”
He said in the report by the Committee, the Government recognized there was still more work to be undertaken for Fiji to have a more sustainable future.
“So, the Fiscal Review Committee has come out and identified some of those issues that the government needs to work on quickly and perhaps more urgently and rapidly.
“We appreciate those kinds of frank views about areas where the government could have done better.
“If you look at the full report of the fiscal review committee, it recognises the positive the bold, the forthright decisions that the government has taken to not only consolidate but stabilise and provide a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth in the future.”
