2020/2021 National Budget anti-poor and insensitive - Jale

SODELPA MP Anare Jale says the 2020/2021 National Budget can be regarded as anti-poor and insensitive.

While delivering his response to the budget, Jale says a culmination of errors and bad decisions the Government had made in regards to it’s fiscal and monetary policies, years of waste through handouts and failing to save any plans for rainy days make evidently clear that the financial situation the ruling government has created and placed on the people of Fiji.

Jale says we have been hearing from the Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum about unprecedented growth but asked whether there has been real growth.

Jale further says COVID-19 is being conveniently blamed for Government’s past failures.

He says whilst the removal of customs duties was obviously intended to benefit the tourism industry and the rich, what would have brought smiles to the faces of majority of Fijians is the removal of VAT from basic food items.

He says to the poor, it is a matter of survival.