Fiji’s National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad says the incoming government, should the administration change post-2022 General Election, will have its work cut out for them.
Uncertain of the situation in the Fijian Government machinery under the governing FijiFirst party Professor Biman said it would be prudent to first determine the status quo to be able to put in place corrective measures.
“We know about the debt, but we don’t really know about the depth,” Professor Biman said. “We know about the depth of the mess in the medical services. We know what has happened to the sugar industry. We have raised policies and solutions in the parliament, asking the government to deal with it. They’ve ignored it.
“We know what has happened to the real income of our people. I have been in parliament for the last eight years. I know the nuts and bolts of what was happening in the budget. I know the nuts and bolts of what the government was doing, in terms of its priorities, in terms of its borrowings.”
“We know what has happened to the cost of living and we have talked about solutions. I have articulated this. And there are statements and visions that we have as to where we want to take Fiji in those areas. It’s going to be a difficult task for the next govt.”
A task he says that a government made up of NFP and People’s Alliance candidates can handle.
“We have the people, and we have the experience, and we know how to deal with it. we have such experienced men and women whether it’s education, health, media, communication, you name it. For social welfare, and agriculture, we have the people, and our partners the People’s Alliance also have some very very experienced knowledgeable people together we are going to have a team that the people of this country will be proud of, they will see solutions as I said we are not going to look after ourselves, we are going to look after our people.”
Professor Biman’s remarks come on the heels of the unveiling of NFP’s vision statement, outlining what they intend to do in their first 100 days and six months in government, depending on what the issue is, including temporary corrective measures “putting on the brakes so that it doesn’t slide any further downwards and sink deeper into the hole.”
