The 2020/2021 National Budget fails to address Fiji’s primary industries’ needs, focusing more on the rejuvenation of the tourism industry, claims Opposition member of Parliament Niko Nawaikula.
Speaking in Parliament during the budget debate last week, Mr Nawaikula said while other countries such as Japan were putting a lot of its effort behind their primary industries, it was worrying that Fiji chose otherwise.
Mr Nawaikula claimed the $3 million injected into the primary industries failed to initiate new projects neither did it stimulate the industry.
He labelled Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy’s budget response as a rebuttal, because he spent the entire time rebutting what others said when he should have talked about strategies and plans as it was an essential ministry.
He added that Dr Reddy put the former minister Inia Seruiratu’s vision for the ministry to nothing while the agriculture sector continued to slump.
Mr Nawaikula said even though a lot of duties were reduced for goods, he questioned the ability of poor people to access these items.
“If we had a complementary amendment in the Price Control Act to ensure that poor people will benefit from this,” he added.
“I am also concerned about the amendment to the Local Government Act 1972 and the portion of the Act dealing with the reduction of workers’ retirement age.”
In his right of reply Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Mr Nawaikula failed to look at the big picture adding that agriculture received an increase in the budget.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said not everybody in Fiji planted dalo because then it would not be a viable commodity creating a glut in the market.
“You need to value add and market it,” he said.
“At the moment half the world market is closed and you need to market these commodities.”
