The Opposition was caught off guard and didn’t expect the bold and extraordinary measures in the budget – AG

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Opposition was completely caught off-guard with the 2021/2022 National Budget as they only had doom and gloom in their mind and therefore were not expecting the bold and extraordinary measures that were announced.

In his right of reply, Sayed-Khaiyum says the Opposition was hoping the Government will fail in this budget and will announce major cuts to civil service salaries, go back on social welfare and income support for the unemployed, increase taxes and leave the businesses without any initiatives.

He says the Opposition was not prepared for the people’s budget designed to put Fiji first.

He then said mass vaccination is the only permanent and suitable solution to this pandemic. The Minister for Economy stresses complete lockdown is not a sustainable solution.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds COVID-19 related deaths have been politicised in this debate.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds the budget was delivered under very challenging circumstances and many Opposition members have been trying to portray that the current economic crises is the doing of the Fijian Government. He says this is absurd.

He says NFP Leader, Professor Biman Prasad lacks intellectual honesty to give the real picture as he is very much focused on elections, forming Government and even becoming Prime Minister.

The Minister for Economy also responded to SODELPA MP Lynda Tabuya’s comments about printing of money.

He says the Government does not have the legal right to print money.

Sayed-Khaiyum says this is left in the independent hands of the Central Bank and they do not interfere with the decisions of the independent institutions in particular, the monetary policies that is governed and run by the Reserve Bank of Fiji.