Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad says Fiji’s revenue forecast remains buoyant, while at the same time the tourism recovery numbers are almost at 70 per cent.
Responding to questions about the state of the country’s finances as the Government approaches almost 100 days in power, Prof Prasad said that economic recovery for Fiji is on track.
He said the Government is adamant that it will return Fiji to pre-COVID numbers by 2024 and that by 2025, the Government is expected to put in place a very clear guidelines or foundations for sustained economic growth for Fiji’s future.
“There is a sense of confidence in the markets, a sense of freedom, and there are a lot of things in the pipeline, in order to bring back the numbers Fiji had before the pandemic. In fact, some things are already happening.”
“Government at the same time have received support and positive feedbacks from every sector in the economy. All this builds confidence.”
He highlighted that in the first 30 days in Government, they paid out almost $50 million to help Fijian students go back to school.
Prof Prasad said 214,000 students benefited from the Back to School support assistance of $200 for all students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education System to high schools students.
“It was a very, very critical moment and time for the Government to help our students and families. This helped parents and guardians put their children back into schools with adequate gear for the 2023 school year,” Prof Prasad added.
