Any attempt to review or change Fiji’s existing taxation system will be done with proper consideration of all reports and recommendations on the issue, says Fiji’s finance minister.

Professor Biman Prasad, who is also co-deputy Prime Minister, said that any decision to make such changes lay solely with the government.

“We are obviously going to look at all the reports, all the recommendations, but at the end of the day, it’s government that will decide what is the best course of action,” he said.

“We want to balance our revenue, our expenditure — but also our support and continue assistance to those who are most vulnerable, those who may be living in poverty, those who have low income.

“This is a government which had started already on a good footing.”

He said they were committed towards assisting the people, as they had done through the back-to-school assistance and extension of the bus fare subsidy.

“This government is firmly focused on looking after our people, but also making sure that we improve our health infrastructure, health services and that is what has come out of this [National Economic Summit].

“We are confident that despite all the big challenges that we have, the government is firmly focused on taking this country forward.”

Shayal Devi is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A senior health practitioner in Fiji has warned that the exodus of nurses will put significant strain on the country’s health sector.

According to orthopaedic surgeon Dr Eddie McCaig, nurses are leaving in droves, with more than 800 — more than a quarter of the workforce — migrating overseas in 2019 alone.

Dr McCaig told delegates at the inaugural National Economic Summit in Suva that healthcare workers were opting to exit because of several factors, but their primary concerns were poor compensation and working conditions, a challenging political environment, and to seek better opportunities for their children.

“Last year, we lost 807 nurses which equates to 26.7 percent of 3056 nurses,” he revealed on Thursday.

He said the standard of patient care provided by health care professionals had also declined because of socio-economic issues.

“We do not have the resources to provide all the care that is promoted by providers and desired and demanded by the public,” he said, adding that FijianS also had “unrealistic expectations”.

The Fiji government has allocated almost FJ$800 million to the health and medical services ministry in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 budget cycles.

However, ageing infrastructure and the inability to retain medical workers has remains a problem.

Less than a week ago, Health Minister Ratu Antonio Lalabalavu declared that his ministry would work to improve staff living and working standards.

According to FBC News, Ratu Lalabalavu has toured more than 50 of the 220 medical services facilities in the country.

The Health Minister found that the majority of the medical facilities were in unsatisfactory condition due to damaged infrastructure, lack of maintenance, as well as poor water and sanitation, the state broadcaster reported.

“The government of the day is ready to work with nurses and find solutions to their grievances and this will be done in a consultative manner,” Ratu Lalabalavu said at the Fiji Nursing Association annual meeting on April 15.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s Coalition government strongly believes that addressing the country’s priorities head-on is the cornerstone to building a progressive and prosperous nation for future generations, says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

Speaking at the National Economic Summit 2023 in Suva today, Rabuka said the event was an opportunity for Fiji to take stock, make necessary changes, and move forward decisively.

The last summit was held 15 years ago.

Rabuka said the meeting would address daunting challenges faced by Fiji, including unsustainable national debt levels, geopolitical and global economic uncertainties, and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, particularly on small island developing economies like Fiji.

“As a Small Island Developing State, we are vulnerable to such events which are beyond our control,” he said at the Grand Pacific Hotel.

“It is critical that we must make timely adjustments so that we can cope and be able to survive in the global trading environment.

“We have just been through one of the world’s worst pandemics of modern times, with covid-19. It affected the whole world.

Russian-Ukrainian war
“The Russian-Ukrainian war in Europe made our efforts to recover from the pandemic more challenging, particularly due to the supply-chain issues. We must address these challenges collectively through this summit, and craft solutions together as a nation.”

Rabuka, wearing an Adam Smith tie, referenced the renowned economist’s 1776 book The Wealth of Nations, and urged those implementing the summit’s outcomes to be mindful of Smith’s principles of free market and capital formation for economic growth.

The Prime Minister also noted a need to strengthen laws and institutions, as well as restore investor confidence and improve the business environment while protecting the country’s natural resources.

“We need to rebuild our infrastructure which has been neglected, and most importantly look at ways to ease the burden of the high cost of living for our people,” he said.

“We need to strengthen the private sector which we so glibly call the ‘engine of growth’. It is important to promote trade and build the confidence of the private sector.”

Strengthening multilateral and bilateral relations with Fiji’s trading and development partners was also a key point raised by Rabuka as he shared that the findings and recommendations from the summit would contribute to the formulation of the national budget and “our National Development Plan”.

“Reshaping our future means more than just promoting economic growth and development.

Brighter future
“A brighter future for our nation requires our communities to be united and move away from divisions,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad said plenary sessions had been organised to set the scene for more detailed discussions on macroeconomic management, key growth sectors, governance and reforms and human development.

“We have an intense two days ahead of us. We are putting special focus on critical issues such as water resource management, transport, energy and technology.

“We are also casting a wider net over rural and outer islands development, land and marine-based economic activities and indigenous participation in business.

“There are 32 specific subject areas for discussion,” Professor Prasad said.

It is understood each summit participant has been allocated a thematic working group with a communique expected to be issued at the conclusion of the event tomorrow.

Viliame Tawanakoro is a final-year journalism student at USP’s Laucala Campus. He is also the 2023 student editor for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publication. USP Journalism collaborates with Asia Pacific Report.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz