Kreetika Kumar 
Economist Dr. Neelesh Gounder believes health is an important provision of public service, and Fiji has continuously underspent on health and infrastructure.
Dr. Gounder says it is vital for the government to prioritize spending in the health sector and infrastructure.
He says a lack of investment in maintenance has led to deteriorating infrastructure.
According to Dr. Gounder, the government will have to rethink how spending is prioritized.
Dr. Gounder says efficiency will be one of the key issues that the government will have to deal with.
“So the efficiency of expenditure is really important. It’s not only the amount we are spending but also where we are spending and what the value of that spending is. If the government is spending a dollar, what is the impact of that dollar?
Fiscal Review Committee Chair Richard Naidu says if good health services are not provided, then the economy will not be able to grow.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services was allocated $395.1 million in the 2022–2023 budget.
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