25 January, 2026, 8:12 pm Central - 26°C Clouds

$9.6 billion debt level as of April 2023 – Prof. Prasad
Deputy PM confident that Fiji’s economic recovery can be more that 6%

$9.6 billion debt level as of April 2023 – Prof. Prasad

Deputy PM confident that Fiji’s economic recovery can be more that 6%

By Navitalai Naivalurua
11/05/2023
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says the current debt level as of April this year stands at $9.6 billion, which is equivalent to 81.8 percent of the debt-to-GDP ratio.

This has been highlighted by Professor Prasad on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan when questioned on the actual situation as far as government debt, revenue and expenditure is concerned.

He says what people will see now is that independent organisations such as the World Bank, and the IMF, have come out with their own assessment of the Fijian economy and the fiscal position of the economy.

He says they were right when they had raised issues about debt, reckless spending, controlling expenditure, and about making sure that projects were prioritised before they came into Government.

Professor Prasad says people also know that the Fijian economy had started contracting before the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also spoke about wastage that they have already discovered.

He also highlighted that with the confidence level indicators showing very positive results, they are expecting a growth rate of about more than 6 percent by the end of this year.

The Deputy Prime Minister says they also have a plan in place to reduce Fiji’s debt-to-GDP ratio to as low as 50 percent in the next 10 years or so.

You can watch the full Straight Talk video here.


FEATURE NEWS
Another 7 expected to be charged in relation to $3B Vatia cocaine bust
Police have clarifed after many requests by fijivillage News that no drugs were found during a search done at the residence of a Member of Parliament ...
3 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Investigate defamatory social media posts - Kiran
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran is calling on the Online Safety Commission and Fiji Police Force Cyber Unit to ...
3 hours ago

Shincheonji Church volunteers clean Lautoka despite heavy rain
Members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Lautoka branch, went ahead with their regular city clean-up campaign on Saturday morning despite sudden ...
3 hours ago

Establishing multiple institutions signals confidence in Fiji’s economic resilience - Gavoka
To establish multiple institutions concurrently with more to follow speaks to innovation, confidence, and a deep belief in Fiji’s economic ...
3 hours ago

The extraordinary story of Kanbar Hossein-Bor on fijivillage Straight Talk at 7pm Wednesday
The extraordinary story of Kanbar Hossein-Bor will be shared on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan at 7pm Wednesday.Hossein-Bor is the ...
4 hours ago

Luke Thompson says Bridgerton carries a strong Shakespearean sensibility
People tend to frown when Luke Thompson compares “Bridgerton” to Shakespeare.But the British actor, who leads the latest season of Netflix’s ...
6 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Ailava Samuels to represent Fiji in Miss Pacific Pageant
Miss Fiji 2025 first runner-up and Miss Nasinu, Ailava Samuels, has been officially appointed as Fiji’s representative to next month's Miss ...
3 days ago

Referendum Bill risks undermining democracy - Dialogue Fiji
The National Referendum Bill risks undermining democracy by criminalising political expression, enabling state overreach and excluding young people ...
5 days ago

Shocking move : FNU reassigned under PM
The Fiji National University is being reassigned under the Prime Minister's Office Ministerial Portfolio via the Ministry of Strategic Planning, ...
5 days ago

TOP