When the Budge debate ended yesterday there was no question about who won it.

Minister for Economy and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum won it hands down. The Opposition focus on the debt level failed to take into consideration all the issues that contributed to the figure.

Opposition Finance spokesperson Biman Prasad talked about what he called the “huge” deficit of 4.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product with Cyclone Winston rehabilitation included. He said there should be a cut back in spending. He said Government should  reprioritise and raise tax in the right places.

It’s a credit to this Government that none of this has happened. The conventional idea is  there would be austerity measures after a massive natural disaster, in this case, Cyclone Winston. That’s where Mr Prasad was coming from. But as spelt out by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum they were able to do it through prudent financial management.

The point that has been ignored by the Opposition is that while the deficit may have increased, capital expenditure has gone up three times more.

This means that more money has been allocated to building infrastructure and other capital works that are vital for economic growth. This is prudent investment in the long term because it stimulates economic activities and consolidates the economy.

The returns on the investment will offset the costs.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum again repeated his performance last year when he tore down the Opposition criticisms which were passionate and colourful but fell short on substance. Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Faiyaz Koya aptly described the Opposition as a political demagogue.

People have become sick and tired of hearing the use of race and religion to get the attention of ordinary people and appeal to their base instincts.

Opposition Whip Ratu Isoa Tikoca was at it again yesterday in a bid to personalise issues to suit his narrow political agenda. His tirade had no relevance to the substance of the Budget debate. He insinuated that the appointment of certain individuals to Government statutory organisations was based on race and religion. The success of these organisations to date clearly showed that they were appointed on merit.

The days of looking at these issues from racial and religious lenses are long gone.

They have been buried with the old constitutions that perpetuated this practice and caused us much grief and pain for which we are still recovering from.

This is a progressive Budget that maintains its social responsibility on one hand and continues infrastructure development on the other without drastic cuts through prudence in financial management.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum came out clearly yesterday to make this point in his right of reply. And he did it so convincingly that I would give him 10 out of 10.

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