Minister of Finance, Professor Biman Prasad [Source: Parliament of Fiji/Facebook]
Finance Minister Prof. Biman Prasad drew attention to the previous government’s overspending, highlighting the lack of evaluation of its projects.
Point out the risks of putting plans into action before assessing the demand they will generate.
The minister points out that the lack of a study on the application forces the government to pay for things that are not paid.
“Legal aid is a very clever example of everything that has been created. And suddenly, the demand for help helps to continue growing. For example, someone like you, who can simply afford a personal lawyer, goes to the Legal Aid Commission, which means that the government is paying for things it deserves not to pay for.
The Minister of Finance highlights the coalition government’s efforts to strike a balance between raising enough revenue and directing it to spaces where it is maximally effective.
He points out that the large opening of GPs across the country, first and foremost as a measure to fight COVID-19, has seen the budget increase from $2 million to about $15 million.
In addition, Professor Prasad highlighted the significant cost of a public-private partnership with ASPEN Medical, amounting to nearly $10 million per month.
According to Prasad, this partnership, although in some respects, added to the monetary difficulties due to the lack of a prior assessment of the application.
The coalition government is now trying to find the right balance in terms of effective profit generation and spending for sustainable and effective development.