More than $246 million of Government funds went unspent in the 2024 financial year, the Auditor‑General has reported, revealing that roughly 6 percent of the $3.76 billion budget approved by Parliament was not utilised. The Report on the 2024 Whole of Government Financial Statements, tabled in Parliament, attributes the shortfall mainly to project delays and staffing gaps across key agencies.
The report breaks down significant underspending across several high‑profile areas. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services recorded the largest single shortfall at $56.2 million. Miscellaneous Services — a category that includes assorted administrative and contingency items — had $40.5 million left unused. The Fiji Roads Authority underspent by $17.8 million, the Office of the Prime Minister by $10.3 million, and $16.5 million remained unused under Charges on Public Debt.
Auditor‑General investigators identified a mix of operational and planning causes for the unspent funds. Vacant positions and high staff turnover were cited as recurring problems that delayed programme delivery and constrained capacity. The report also highlighted delayed implementation of capital projects and a practice of releasing funds on an ad‑hoc “immediate needs” basis instead of disbursing full allocations upfront, which hampered forward planning and procurement timelines.
The Auditor‑General emphasised continuing weaknesses in the planning and execution of capital projects, noting that these systemic shortcomings contribute to funds remaining idle even where allocations are available. To address the issues, the report recommends ministries strengthen recruitment processes to fill critical posts more quickly, improve early identification and mitigation of project risks, and enhance procurement planning so contracts and delivery schedules align with budget appropriations.
Management responses recorded in the report acknowledged the findings, conceding that challenges with unutilised budgets persist despite existing financial management frameworks. While the report does not quantify the expected cost of delays, it signals that repeated underspending could undermine the timely delivery of public services and infrastructure projects — particularly in health and roads, where substantial allocations were left unused.
The Auditor‑General’s findings arrive against a backdrop of government optimism on the economy: earlier statements from the Finance Ministry suggested stronger economic indicators and a rise in government expenditure over part of the year. The new report exposes a gap between budgeted intent and on‑the‑ground execution, underscoring that higher appropriations alone do not guarantee faster delivery of services or projects.
With the report now before Parliament, its recommendations are likely to inform scrutiny by parliamentary committees and drive follow‑up action from ministries and agencies. Officials will be under pressure to demonstrate concrete steps — particularly on staffing, procurement and project risk management — to ensure future budgets are turned into timely, effective public spending.
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