Many issues were raised with the Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum during the 2018/2019 national budget roadshow for tertiary institution at the University of the South Pacific today.

Issues ranged from TELS, to accommodation, to e-ticketing, and even people being laid off in the Ministry of Education.

USP Student Jope Koroisuva made a claim on people being laid off in ministries.

“One best friend of mine called me yesterday, he actually works in your ministry has been laid off in the HR department/division. According to them, 100 plus positions in the ministry or in that division, 52 have been advertised which means another 50+ could be going home in the next few days.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says there are reasons why people would be let go from the jobs they held.

“I think it’s a bit amiss of you to come and stand here and say you know 50 of your mates have been terminated, maybe their contracts came to an end, maybe they did not perform, maybe the job they did was a short term job, I think, don’t try and mislead the crowd.”

Koroisuva then further asked Sayed-Khaiyum whether laying of people is the cost of the budget.

“Are this the measures that we are starting to see that we are starting to see that our people will start to pay for the cost of such budget or are those just some issues you could explain more on why members of your ministry of education are now being sent home or laid off.”

“You don’t fund budgets by firing people, anybody would tell you that. You fire one person because they fondled on somebody’s breast, you may be saving $24, 000 it doesn’t make a dent to the budget.”

The national budget roadshow is expected to continue for few more days in other institutions as well.