2017‑2018 national budget is an irresponsible and unimaginative budget - Sitiveni Rabuka

SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka has labelled the 2017‑2018 national budget as an irresponsible and unimaginative budget.

Rabuka says we need to look at the budget in the context of national interest and its long term impact on the Fijian people of today and the future.

He says we have an unsustainable growing level of government debt.

When asked by Fijivillage on a report that was released by the World Bank that Fiji's national debt is manageable and reasonable, Rabuka says it is different for other countries.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum had earlier stated that Fiji's debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio was 44 percent in April this year and that is a manageable level.

He says Fiji also has a clean record in relation to its debt obligations and the total outstanding debt was $4.5 billion as at April.

The SODELPA Leader says it is important to review the budget trend in the last few years, examine their policies, review the decisions taken and the resulted programs and its effects on our country.

Rabuka says the budget is irresponsible because it is driven by a personal and political ego and focused on a party's survival in the next general elections.

When asked on the Minister of Economy's earlier statement that it is unfortunate that the Opposition has been completely consumed by the 2018 General Elections because the Opposition labelled the 2017‑2018 National  Budget as an election budget, Rabuka says it is a budget designed for the elections.