Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad has asserted that the government is not structuring its national budgets to please voters ahead of the 2026 elections. In an interview on The Lens@177, Prof Prasad highlighted that the new budget had been well-received across various economic sectors.
“When we took office, it became apparent within a month that people, including children and parents, were facing significant challenges,” he explained. “We injected $50 million shortly after assuming office and provided $200 each to over 214,000 students. The impact was substantial, and it wasn’t about the next election. Some critics claimed it was an election budget two years in advance.”
Prof Prasad emphasized that his focus as Finance Minister is not on the upcoming election, but on implementing sustainable policies. He noted that if the government had not taken the actions reflected in previous budgets, the public would have faced even greater hardships.
He stated that the additional revenue from VAT increases has been directed towards improving hospitals, schools, infrastructure, and providing income support. “We also tax the wealthy,” he added. “Corporate tax was raised from 20 to 25 percent. We understand that nobody likes to pay taxes, but the lower-income population requires government support. This group has been our focus in the recent budgets, along with everyone else.”
Prof Prasad clarified that the current budget is not influenced by electoral considerations but is aimed at tackling the core issue of rising living costs by addressing income levels. “Government and tax policy options are limited, but this is the best approach any responsible government would consider,” he said. “This is a strong budget that will put Fiji on the path to sustained growth. We anticipate more investments in the future, which will leave us in a much stronger position.”