Shania Shayal Prasad 
[File Photo]
The government is bracing for a global slowdown and spending its way through it.
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says a bigger budget is on the table, but insists that fiscal control won’t be lost.
He says more money will go where it matters into programs that drive growth and protect services during tough times.
Biman Prasad [File Photo]
According to Prof Prasad, Fiji cannot afford to sit still while global trends threaten the economy.
“It’s about the whole of government, about the government vision. It’s about giving effect to the national development plan. It’s about addressing the priorities.”
Prof Prasad says despite the push for higher allocations, the debt-to-GDP ratio will stay under 80 percent.
“Because if you are expecting a global economic slowdown, if you’re expecting a slowdown in the economy domestically, then as a government, as a domestic response, we have to make sure that we have our expenditure that is appropriate.”
The government wants to support the economy without wasting money, and the Finance Minister says they’re staying on track.
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