Agriculture Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy.

Agriculture Minister has challenged Opposition members to justify which aspects or part of the budget is irresponsible, rudderless and deceiving.

In supporting the 2020/21 national budget, Dr Mahendra Reddy says nearly every member of the Opposition seems to utter the same statements made by their leader Sitiveni Rabuka.

SODELPA Opposition MP Salote Radrodro today claimed that the government has developed a well-framed thought-out theoretical deceiving budget that saves their own faces instead of helping the marginalized and vulnerable Fijians.

Salote Radrodro claims the government continues to mislead Fijians with false promises as evident with the marginalizing of expatriates.

“It is unacceptable to see our locals who are well-qualified and more than capable to fill in executive positions in the public service, judiciary and statutory bodies, but they’re being sidelined and favoring expensive expatriates”.

However, Mahendra Reddy hit out urging the remaining Opposition MPs to speak with facts and truth when responding to the 2020/21 budget.

“I challenge the remaining members to pick up these three aspects and come exclusively and demonstrate that this budget is irresponsible, rudderless and deceiving. I want to see examples. Otherwise, the public of Fiji will have no confidence in them”.

The Minister says the government will not be able to effectively and efficiently execute its key duties with the irrelevant and unverified information made by some Opposition MP.