Government not acting with urgency on economy, says Naidu

The Government is failing to act with the urgency needed to address Fiji's economic challenges despite having access to expert advice and policy options, Fiscal Review Committee chair Richard Naidu told the State of the Economy Dialogue.

Speaking at the Dialogue Fiji State of the Economy Dialogue, Mr Naidu said urgent action was needed at the political level.

"There is a lot of advice out there. There is a lot of support out there. There are a lot of options out there. But it is for the government, at the political level, to act with urgency on economic issues," he said.

"And the government is not doing that. The government is too distracted by other things."

Mr Naidu said economic growth was critical because it increased incomes, strengthened Government revenue and improved people's welfare.

He said Fiji could not afford to be complacent in a competitive global environment.

"It's not an option for us in Fiji to stand still," he said.

Mr Naidu said the country needed stronger economic growth than current levels and warned that the post-COVID tourism rebound had masked deeper economic weaknesses.

"Now that it's settling below 3 per cent or below, that's just not good enough," he said.