Vosarogo says no budget is perfect and the last 16 years were a disastrous starting point

We can all agree that no budget is perfect — just as nothing in life or this world truly is.

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo highlighted this while supporting the 2025/2026 National Budget and stressed that tailoring the financial year of a nation is not an easy task.

Vosarogo says it is daunting in the sense that while the Opposition is only forecasting for the next 12 months, they must also do so with a projection of what that next 12 months would mean in the next 10 years or so.

He says the former FijiFirst Government doesn’t know this because they have done badly in their previous budgets and in the last 16 years it gave the people an almost disastrous starting point.

The Minister says they are not sure how many members are indeed in the opposition and how many are just warming seats, secretly gathering signatures for their parties, or maybe going on to join another.

He says the Leader of the Opposition, Inia Seruiratu should do a loyalty check on those to his left and those behind him.

The Minister says the other side has been talking about the budget not being good enough and has used phrases like lazy budget, lollipop budget, and candy budget.

He jokingly mentioned the lollipop and candy are not good for Parveen Bala and Viam Pillay.

Vosarogo says Opposition MP, Premila Kumar says it's a risky budget based on borrowings while the Leader of Opposition says it's an unsustainable budget and lacks long-term vision.

However, he says they have made no attempts to provide an alternative budget that the Assistant Minister for Information, Aliki Bia has challenged them on.

He says Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran reminded him that the previous government did nothing about the termites, now, it will cost them millions of dollars to replace government buildings, houses, homes in the West and North.

He says they should go back and look at their budget books from their days in power and the agriculture allocation that the coalition government has made in the last three budgets.

Vosarogo says they are delivering things in two and a half years what the Opposition promised in 16 years.

The Minister says the budget is people-centric, one that balances fiscal responsibility with practical investments aimed at reducing the cost of living and improving essential services.

He says it lays the foundation for a more secure, stable and prosperous Fiji for all.

Vosarogo says the reduction of VAT from 15 to 12.5 percent puts $250 million into the pockets of all Fijians and gives them extra buying power, with an increase of 5 percent in social protection and 10 percent of bus fare assistance, an increase in civil service pay, giving them additional spending power.

The Minister says this government means what it says, and is seizing this opportunity and this moment to take Fiji forward.

Vosarogo says the Ministry for Lands and Mineral Resources has been allocated $40.6 million which is an increase of $4.1 million from the last financial year.

He says this is a timely and strategic investment that enables the Ministry to continue fulfilling its core responsibilities to administer, manage and regulate Fiji's land, state lands and mineral resources sector effectively and efficiently.

He says with this they aim to secure land accessibility for all Fijians, improve access to clean and safe drinking water and foster a conducive regulatory environment that supports business growth, development and sustainable resource use.

He says the Freehold Budget Scheme has been reintroduced and it was never designed to take land by force, out of the 24 parcels of land that were the subject of buyback in both the 1989 and 1993 schemes, all have been mutually negotiated between willing buyers and willing sellers of the freehold to the native-owned landowning unit who once had freehold land titles to them.

Speaking on the sacrilege at the Sanatan Shiv Temple in Samabula, Vosarogo says to all Fijians that it is not right to enter any place of worship and cause destruction, it’s wrong and has no place in our multiracial Fiji.

Vosarogo adds that parents, community leaders, youth leaders, women leaders and national leaders like them must all do their part in speaking out against acts of violence, against religious freedoms.

He also congratulated Turaga na Tui Nayau, Sau ni Vanua o Lau and Tui Lau, Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba on his recent installation.