Tabuya says 2025/2026 National Budget pays attention to details and hears the war cry against poverty

The 2025/2026 National Budget is a budget that pays attention to details, taking simple yet meaningful changes, and hears the war cry of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, the war against poverty.

This was highlighted by Government backbencher, Lynda Tabuya during her speech in Parliament while supporting the budget.

Tabuya says the meaningful changes by this budget are baby steps, improving the well-being of our people and moving us in the right direction, out of poverty into productivity, out of welfare into well-being.

She says the majority of our people who take buses daily will appreciate the 10 percent decrease in bus fares, and our most vulnerable living on social welfare will appreciate the increase in their welfare allowances, which the government has been progressively doing since coming into office.

She adds that the reduction in VAT to 12.5 percent will be appreciated immensely by the people, while the government works with the FCCC to manage the prices of goods.

Tabuya says the handover of titles to people living in informal settlements and in public housing will improve their security of tenure and they will be able to borrow with their real property.

Tabuya says the $10 million allocated to deal with the HIV crisis showcases real commitment to addressing this pandemic, and the allocation for a Drug Rehabilitation Centre under the Social Welfare Department shows real commitment to dealing with harm reduction and prioritising the physical and mental well-being of our people at risk, especially the children who currently have nowhere to go.

She further says the people will appreciate the increase in police presence, with 1,000 more police officers to find the drug dealers, secure our streets and communities, especially at night, and instill confidence in our tourists to enjoy the nightlife in Fiji.

Tabuya says parents and guardians will appreciate the continued $200 back-to-school assistance for over 200,000 children.

She says the continuation in allocation of various line ministries to the National Action Plan to Prevent Gender-Based Violence shows the Government’s real commitment to making our women safer in our homes.

Tabuya further says she is most encouraged by the commitment of the government to the children of this country as there are budget allocations under line ministries to operationalise the historic Child Care and Protection Act and the Child Justice Act.

Tabuya thanked the Minister for Children, Sashi Kiran, for her continued commitment to our children.