Opposition Member of Parliament, Premila Kumar, has criticized the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for trying to market the National Development Plan in an overly persuasive manner, asserting that the public is not convinced. In response to a Ministerial Statement by Professor Biman Prasad regarding the plan, Kumar raised concerns about how everyday citizens perceive the initiative.
She emphasized the importance of understanding public sentiment, asking, “How do they feel when they go to the supermarket for groceries? What about when they visit the pharmacy for medications?” Kumar pointed out that people’s experiences with various services, including legal and medical assistance, and their financial obligations like electricity and water bills, are essential to gauge the plan’s real impact.
Kumar highlighted a disconnect between reported economic growth and the lived reality of citizens, questioning how this growth benefits ordinary people. She described the National Development Plan as an unrealistic promise of development that fails to address the immediate challenges people face.
She urged the Deputy Prime Minister to improve his efforts and criticized Professor Prasad’s vision of transforming the nation into a high-income economy. “We have delivered, the Bainimarama Government has delivered! From no income, we moved to a middle-income country,” she asserted.