PM Labels Budget As Responsible

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has labelled the 2022-2023 National Budget announced last Friday as responsible, innovative and compassionate.

Mr Bainimarama said the budget build more buffers to the price- increase crisis, and create a vision built on the foundation for a stronger Fijian future.

Speaking at the opening of the Rewa Provincial Council meeting yesterday at Lomanikoro Village, he said Government would roll out its $180 per child per household assistance soon for the next six months for families with a combined annual income of $50,000 or less.

“A family with three children, for example, will receive $540 in cash support over the next six months that they can use to alleviate the rising prices they’re feeling,” he said.

“For social welfare recipients, Government-funded pensioners and tertiary students will also receive a payment of $180 over a six- month period."

“Government will be stepping in to pay 10 per cent of the bus fares of all members of the public to combat rising fuel costs.”

He said the Opposition called these assistance as freebies but they called it compassion.

“Prices are rising, and we must rise up together as a nation to protect those most vulnerable,” the  PM said.

“This comes in addition to the removal of VAT on 21 basic food items and the gradual raising of the national minimum wage that we announced earlier this year.

“The new budget also invests in roads, bridges, and jetties, in water and electricity access, and in telecommunications."

“We also extended our seafaring entrepreneurs assistance subsidy or sea subsidy to more coastal are- as of the country without road access, including here in Rewa, with fully equipped and operational fibre glass boats.”

He urged those present at the meeting to read the full budget materials online because it detailed the Government’s plans for a stronger Fiji.

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