People’s Alliance candidate Cecil Browne claims Fiji has regressed, and the poverty and unemployment rates reflect this.

Brown claims that around 200,000 Fijians are unemployed and living in poverty.

“These are big concerns for you and for me and for everybody else and if we don’t address these issues now, our grandchildren are going to be the ones that will be facing the real hardships.”

Browne says when the government receives its revenue, a portion of it is used to pay civil servants, the second is directed towards paying local and offshore loans, and if money is left over, it is used to fund developments.

He claims that a majority of our money is used to run the government and pay off Fiji’s debt.

The PA candidate says his party has experienced people in the economic field, and they will work to minimize the impact of social issues in Fiji.

He says this includes its plan to reduce government expenses and increase savings.

Meanwhile, FijiFirst General Secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had earlier stated that about 100,000 Fijians have been lifted out of poverty as a direct result of the Bainimarama government’s nine consecutive years of economic growth.

Sayed-Khaiyum had said that under the ruling government, thousands of jobs had also been created.