Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has called the level of the debate on the 2016-2017 national budget pathetic.

The Minister was more or less correcting the majority of the arguments the Opposition MPs raised regarding the budget on issues including taxes, appointments of civil service and economic growth in particular the national debt.

“For the 2016 calendar year the economy is expected to grow by 2.4% and the impact of the 2016-2017 budget is expected to further raise this growth. The projected 2.4% growth in is a remarkable achievement in itself given the devastating effects of TC Winston. Out of the 21 economic sectors 16 are expected to grow. The only sectors that are expected to contract include agriculture, sugar, manufacturing of sugar, forestry obviously in relation to Winston.”

Sayed-Khaiyum added at the end of 2006, $2.86bn in national debt was inherited by the Bainimarama government by the previous government.