Opposition MP Premila Kumar has raised concerns over the government’s decision to redeploy funds from the closed 2023-2024 budget. She questioned why the Cabinet is approving these redeployments in August, shortly after the financial year ended in July.
Kumar expressed that these actions reflect a troubling lack of foresight and financial management. She criticized the Minister of Finance for failing to provide explanations regarding the $105.2 million in over-expenditures and under-expenditures that were redeployed in July, despite his assertions of transparency.
“It is time for Hon. Prasad to stop blaming or comparing himself to the previous administration. The Coalition Government must show how it is positively impacting the lives of Fijians through responsible financial management and by fulfilling its promises,” Kumar stated. She emphasized the expectation for the government to offer clear answers, take responsibility, and ensure public funds are utilized for the benefit of the people instead of masking inefficiencies and mismanagement.
Kumar also described the Minister of Finance’s remarks regarding the redeployment of funds as defensive, suggesting that he is evading genuine concerns instead of providing transparent answers. She underscored the role of the Opposition in ensuring that the government exercises strict expenditure controls, maintains transparency, and upholds good governance.
This matter is about accountability and the effective use of public funds for all Fijians, not personal attacks, Kumar clarified. She criticized the Minister for consistently sidestepping key issues by comparing his actions to previous administrations.
Kumar pointed out that the Minister’s assertion concerning exceeding the overall budget approved by Parliament misses the mark—he should have introduced an Appropriation Bill if that were the case.
The Opposition MP also highlighted concerns about under-expenditure, noting that when ministries and departments fail to use allocated funds, it signifies a lack of execution for planned initiatives, which ultimately affects Fijians. She cited specific examples, such as the lack of progress on rural electrification projects allocated $4.1 million, the underutilization of $12 million earmarked for essential hospital equipment, and only a fraction of funds meant for school upgrades being spent by the Ministry of Education.
Kumar added that issues surrounding teacher pay within the Ministry of Education needed to be adequately addressed in the upcoming 2024-2025 budget instead of relying on redeployments from the previous financial year. She made a similar remark regarding the Fiji Police Force.