Removal of all “R” (requisition) items in budget

The Government has made a bold move in the 2025/2026 National Budget as they have removed all “R” (requisition) items, which previously required ministerial or permanent secretary approval before spending.

The announcement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad in Parliament, stating that this shift is being piloted to streamline operational processes, reduce bureaucratic delays, and improve efficiency and accountability in budget execution.

Ministries and departments will now be entrusted with greater operational flexibility, underpinned by stronger monitoring and policy oversight from the Ministry of Finance.

Professor Prasad has also allocated $4.1 million for the completion of Phase 2 of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, where the data collected will provide the Government with a detailed picture of income level, expenditure patterns, and updated poverty estimates that will help guide public policy and Government interventions.

He says $740,000 is for preparatory works for the 2027 Population Census.

Professor Prasad says this census will be crucial in capturing the demographic, economic, and social trends that will shape our national planning over the next decade.

He adds his Ministry is allocated a total budget of $91 million, which includes $54 million to fund the operations of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service. The Deputy Prime Minister says a total of $4 million was allocated for the milestone payments related to the new FMIS system that went live on 1st August last year.

He says in tandem with this, $1.8 million has been allocated for the implementation of a new Budget System aimed at automating the budget process, which should be completed in the next 12 months.

Professor Prasad says as part of the public financial management (PFM) reform agenda, the Ministry of Finance has undertaken a comprehensive reclassification of budget expenditures in the 2025–2026 Budget. He adds this reform is guided by international best practices and the recommendations of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments.