14 years is too long, government has run out of steam and has no new ideas – Lynda Tabuya

SODELPA MP, Lynda Tabuya says the government still has no new ideas and is not even engaged in innovative thinking of looking inward and seeing Fiji for what it has to offer today to help our economy and our people.

While speaking during the 2020/2021 National Budget, Tabuya says the government is still focusing on tourism and sugar and it is clear that government has run out of steam and has no new ideas.

Tabuya says 14 years is too long for any government to remain in control and this is why the most powerful country in the world, the USA only allows the President to run for eight years.

Tabuya then went on to say that when the Prime Minister travels to cut ribbons, the Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and government personnel follow him which is contributing to huge overheads and wastage.

She says that when people are struggling to provide daily necessities like nutritious food, adequate housing and affordable medicine, the government has announced in this budget that it will build the Prime Minister’s new office.

Tabuya has questioned whether this is the time to look at alternatives to sugar with sugar prices on a global decline and with the Fiji Sugar Corporation making loss after loss.

She says it is time to grow Fiji by focusing on the primary industry and niche markets.

Tabuya adds that Fiji National Provident Fund which has largely invested in tourism and property development needs to re-prioritise and invest in Fiji’s primary industry.

She adds Fiji Investment Corporation needs to be quickly re-established to provide better equity investment capital for start-up businesses in priority industries including agriculture.