Independent MP Faiyaz Koya says the 2024-2025 National Budget lacks creativity and has not incentivized the private sector and the current fiscal policies are widening the gap between the rich and the poor and burdens them.
While speaking in response to the national budget address in Parliament, Koya says increases in fringe benefits tax and other indirect taxes will be passed on to the consumers, making everyday goods and services more expensive for the average Fijian.
He says this budget relies heavily on the tourism sector as the main driver of economic growth.
Koya further says the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance had said there is going to be a holistic review undertaken to right-size the civil service and also to contain the public sector wage bill.
He says this raises alarm bells for the public sector and will mean more migration.
The former FijiFirst MP says the budget falls short on tax collections, and raises concerns about the effectiveness of the Government's revenue strategies.
Koya says without robust revenue, the ability to fund essential services and support the vulnerable diminishes.
Koya asks what this Government has done for the poor and the working class and says teachers feel undervalued and underpaid.
He says the budget also lacks some transparency and some accountability as there are allegations of financial benefits flowing to close associates and donors and the Government must provide a clear and detailed account of how the public funds are being used.
The MP says that there is no substantial support for agriculture, a sector that can provide food security and livelihood for thousands of Fijians and the manufacturing sector, which has the potential to create jobs and reduce our reliance on imports, is also overlooked.
The budget debate continues in Parliament tomorrow.
