Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has revealed in Parliament that close to 25,000 people have lost their jobs in the tourism sector and they need to be urgently assisted by government and access funds from their FNPF if they have enough funds.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the government is using the law to urgently assist the people who have lost their jobs.

He says the reality of the matter is that we have a dire situation on our hands.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds they do not want the dilly-dallying like the opposition is doing.

He revealed that the government will make available $60 million to those people who have lost their jobs already.

Sayed-Khaiyum says we need to take action now.

He adds that the Budget Book is available and they should debate it today.

The Minister for Economy says if the opposition feels 3 hours is not enough then they can debate it for 7 hours.

He says they are here to do a job and parliament is a workplace.

NFP MP Pio Tikoduadua had also opposed the motion for 1 day debate today saying his leader, Professor Biman Prasad has been saying that the economy is coming to a grinding halt. He asked where is the boom.

Tikoduadua says 3 hours of debate for the Supplementary Budget is not good enough.

Leader of the Government in the House, Inia Seruiratu says parliament can be debating all of next week but every day counts.

Seruiratu says Italy had 5 COVID-19 cases on February 23rd.

He says a month later they have 60,000 cases.

Seruiratu says we need to take immediate action.

COVID-19 RESPONSE BUDGET ESTIMATE 2019-2020
http://www.parliament.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COVID-19-RESPONSE-BUDGET-ESTIMATE-2019-2020.pdf

ECONOMIC AND FISCAL UPDATE SUPPLEMENT TO THE COVID-19 RESPONSE BUDGET ADDRESS
http://www.parliament.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SUPPLEMENT-TO-THE-COVID-19-RESPONSE-BUDGET-ADDRESS.pdf