The Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has welcomed the idea of introducing of casinos in Fiji which he thinks will bring in more money which will help solve poverty.
This was his view at the Public and Private Sector Consultative Forum on the 2010 Budget at the Novotel Convention Centre in Lami yesterday.
Bainimarama believes that some do not like the idea of the casino concept but he is for it.
Bainimarama added most people instead of helping reducing poverty had their agenda.
Also at the Forum, Father Kevin Barr of ECREA raised concerns that the authorities should not only think of what benefits the nation, but think of the welfare of the people.
Father Barr points out the budget allocation of $23 million for Tourism this year should have been given to housing.
Meanwhile, the Fiji Chamber of Commerce President said Fiji could save an estimated $50 million a year by making the sheep farming industry a commercial entity.
Swani Maharaj said attempts to make sheep farming a viable industry have failed over the past 40 years.
At the Forum, the Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary John Prasad said the government's aim is to have a balanced budget by 2012 and have a ratio of operating to capital expenditure to 75 to 25.
Prasad said civil service reforms will be accelerated from 2010 to reduce the operating expenditure adding cabinet has already approved the Ministry working with each ministry to ensure that the overall objectives are achieved.
He said issues like the 42,000 people currently on the different payroll systems are being analyzed to look at where the labour is sitting in each ministry and the costs attached to them.
John Prasad has also revealed that the revenue measures and tax incentives will also be reviewed for the 2010 budget bearing in mind that the focus is to reduce our imports and boost our exports.
However, Prasad said they will weigh a number of issues as they have noticed that the tax incentives given to the local manufacturers and businesses do not result in cheaper prices for the goods they manufacture or sell.
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PM welcomes casino idea
