Kreetika Kumar 
[file photo]
Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar says the government is offering a “feel-good” budget filled with announcements.
However, Kumar believes that the government lacks transparency and accountability in the actual implementation of the budget.
She adds that the million-dollar question is whether the benefits will be passed on to the customers.
Kumar has called on the government to be transparent with Members of Parliament by providing a clear report on how effectively it delivered the current budget.
“We have seen, even in this budget announcement, none of us heard how the last budget was delivered. So there’s a big silence on that. It would be nice to start off by telling us how they did with the last budget and what they intend to do in the future.”
Opposition MP Jone Usamate says that while having a plan and good intentions is important, what truly matters is how effectively those plans are executed.
“And as you can see, well, the Deputy Prime Minister used to talk about freebies. There’s a lot of stuff here that is going to be good for people. Good for people in terms of the reduction in the bus fares and all of those things.”
Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has acknowledged and commended the officials involved in preparing the national budget.
The full budget debate is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
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