Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar criticized the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for attempting to promote the National Development Plan as if it were a product, stating that the public is not buying into it.
In response to Professor Biman Prasad’s Ministerial Statement on the plan, Kumar raised concerns about the public’s perception and experience regarding the plan’s impact. She questioned how people feel when shopping for groceries, visiting pharmacies for medicine, or using various services such as legal or medical assistance. She noted that citizens also experience the economic situation when paying utility bills.
Kumar emphasized that despite claims of a thriving economy, the real feelings and experiences of the people must be prioritized. She described the plan as an unrealistic promise of development that fails to address the current issues faced by the population.
She urged the Deputy Prime Minister to improve his approach and criticized Professor Prasad’s ambition to elevate the country to a high-income status. Kumar defended the previous Bainimarama Government, asserting that it successfully transitioned the nation from no income to a middle-income level.