Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad has rejected claims of having no funds that was raised by the Fijian Teachers Association General Secretary, Paula Manumanunitoga, as the reason for not increasing teachers' pay during the National Budget announcement.
The Fijian Teachers Association has warned of a protest march or national strike if issues around teachers’ pay, rural allowances, and working conditions are not addressed.
Manumanunitoga criticized the government for giving teachers only a 3 percent pay rise in 2025, compared to 20 to 30 percent for the Police Force, and claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, had said there was no money for education.
While responding to the statement, Professor Prasad highlighted that the government has raised the salaries of teachers in the past two years by 10 percent.
He also says they had raised the retirement age from 55 to 60 years, given salary increases of up to 20 percent for civil servants, and confirmed of Early Childhood teacher positions as permanent.
He adds that the government is committed to further improving conditions for teachers and civil servants in the next budget and beyond.
Professor Prasad says the issue is about managing priorities, not a lack of money.
