Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has told lawmakers and the public there are no current plans to cut civil servants’ salaries, while warning that pay reductions could be considered in the future if worsening economic conditions force difficult choices.
Asked whether the government was weighing wage cuts as part of cost‑saving measures, Rabuka said no decision has been made and rejected recent reports that a cut had already been agreed. “It can be, but I haven’t made the decision. Fiji has to survive. We have had pay cuts for parliamentarians before. It can keep going. We all have to make sacrifices at some time,” he said, adding he did not know the origin of claims that a decision was already taken.
The prime minister emphasised that any future moves on public sector salaries would be guided by formal economic assessments and the advice of the Ministry of Finance. His clarification comes as Fiji monitors rising global fuel prices and broader economic uncertainty that have heightened scrutiny of the government’s fiscal position.
Rabuka’s comments are the latest development in an ongoing conversation about fiscal consolidation and budget priorities that has been unfolding since the 2024–25 budget process. Earlier government briefings documented the heavy toll of the COVID‑19 shock on public finances, with Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad noting the government experienced sharp revenue declines during the pandemic and has been pursuing measures to stabilise debt and spending. The 2024–25 budget itself contained contested allocations, including a notable increase to the police budget, underscoring competing demands on limited resources.
By stressing that a decision to cut wages has not been made, Rabuka appears to be seeking to calm growing anxiety among civil servants and the public amid media reports and social media speculation. He framed future possibilities as contingent and technical: any proposal to alter pay would follow detailed economic analysis and the ministry’s recommendations rather than unilateral executive action.
The prime minister’s acknowledgement that pay cuts remain an option signals the government’s awareness of the trade‑offs ahead as it balances service delivery obligations with the need to contain expenditure amid external price pressures. For now, though, public sector employees can expect the status quo to remain while the administration and the Ministry of Finance continue to assess the evolving fiscal outlook.