Opposition Member of Parliament, Premila Kumar, has criticized the Government’s recent decision to reallocate funds in the 2023-2024 National Budget to address a $7.9 million overspend by the Ministry of Education and the Fiji Police Force. She argues that this action reveals significant shortcomings in financial management.
This situation follows a previous reallocation of $105.2 million in July to meet additional financial demands across various government departments and projects. Kumar stated that this reflects a lack of effective oversight within the Government, indicating that the Ministry of Finance is struggling to manage ministries and departments within their allocated budgets.
Kumar pointed out that while such reallocation is permitted under the Financial Management Act, it highlights deeper issues, including inadequate planning, insufficient budget allocations, and lapses in expenditure control. She emphasized that the public deserves clarity on how these overspends occur and what measures are in place to prevent agencies from exceeding their budgets.
The former Minister in the FijiFirst Government highlighted that while the latest funding adjustment focused on the Ministry of Education and the Fiji Police Force, the broader reallocation in July affected numerous government agencies and projects. She expressed concern that during the budget announcement, the Finance Minister presented new financial year allocations without detailing expenditures from the previous year.
The Opposition has continually urged for increased transparency and has sought clarification regarding a $42 million transfer from capital projects, a topic that was dismissed by the government in the last business committee meeting. Kumar called on the Finance Minister to provide a comprehensive breakdown of all overspending by government entities, along with justifications for these expenses.
She noted that the Government’s claims of accountability and transparency are being closely scrutinized. Kumar questioned why the trend of overspending continues amidst a lack of disasters or emergencies to rationalize these extra costs. She concluded by asserting that the people of Fiji deserve enhanced financial management and accountability from their Government.