Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum speaks to representatives and executives of major businesses during a special meeting facilitated by the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva recently.
Picture: JOVESA NAISUA
Picture: JOVESA NAISUA
NFP says A-G economical with the truth
THE National Federation Party claims Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was “intellectually dishonest and economical with the truth” in his opinion piece published in the Financial Times this week.
NFP leader Professor Biman Prasad said Fiji needed massive financial assistance.
In the article, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum called on multilateral development banks not to withhold financial support for Small Island States vulnerable to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said small developing countries would suffer most and as countries shut their borders and income dissipated, Fijians would feel the economic crunch intensely.
The A-G also said Fiji was fortunate it could afford to take some countermeasures from a position of “relative financial strength”.
Prof Prasad said nations such as New Zealand and Australia had provided stimulus packages to allow their respective citizens to ride out this pandemic, but Government ignored sound advice to implement policies aimed at fiscal consolidation to prepare for unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Minister Sayed-Khaiyum, when asking for multilateral support to supplement Fiji’s efforts in combating the effects of the coronavirus or COVID-19, is making misleading comment that Fiji can afford to take some (COVID-19) countermeasures with relative financial strength, while asking for multilateral support,”
Prof Prasad said.
“Now it has been proven beyond any doubt whatsoever that his economic policies have been a colossal failure resulting in our economy grinding to a halt many months before the global outbreak of COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry also said Government did not have the “relative financial strength” to finance the kind of stimulus package required to counter the impact of COVID-19.
Responding to the article by Mr Sayed- Khaiyum, Mr Chaudhry claimed while the adverse impact of the COVID-19 virus had begun assuming global proportions since late January, the A-G made no mention of it in the last sitting of Parliament last month.
“The government will have to borrow heavily to finance the package and hence the appeal by Economy Minister Sayed- Khaiyum to international financial institutions to act with haste in providing financial assistance to small developing countries,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“It seems he has woken up rather late and is now trying frantically to address the calamity.”
Questions sent to Mr Sayed-Khaiyum yesterday on comments by the two leaders remained unanswered.
NFP leader Professor Biman Prasad said Fiji needed massive financial assistance.
In the article, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum called on multilateral development banks not to withhold financial support for Small Island States vulnerable to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said small developing countries would suffer most and as countries shut their borders and income dissipated, Fijians would feel the economic crunch intensely.
The A-G also said Fiji was fortunate it could afford to take some countermeasures from a position of “relative financial strength”.
Prof Prasad said nations such as New Zealand and Australia had provided stimulus packages to allow their respective citizens to ride out this pandemic, but Government ignored sound advice to implement policies aimed at fiscal consolidation to prepare for unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Minister Sayed-Khaiyum, when asking for multilateral support to supplement Fiji’s efforts in combating the effects of the coronavirus or COVID-19, is making misleading comment that Fiji can afford to take some (COVID-19) countermeasures with relative financial strength, while asking for multilateral support,”
Prof Prasad said.
“Now it has been proven beyond any doubt whatsoever that his economic policies have been a colossal failure resulting in our economy grinding to a halt many months before the global outbreak of COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry also said Government did not have the “relative financial strength” to finance the kind of stimulus package required to counter the impact of COVID-19.
Responding to the article by Mr Sayed- Khaiyum, Mr Chaudhry claimed while the adverse impact of the COVID-19 virus had begun assuming global proportions since late January, the A-G made no mention of it in the last sitting of Parliament last month.
“The government will have to borrow heavily to finance the package and hence the appeal by Economy Minister Sayed- Khaiyum to international financial institutions to act with haste in providing financial assistance to small developing countries,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“It seems he has woken up rather late and is now trying frantically to address the calamity.”
Questions sent to Mr Sayed-Khaiyum yesterday on comments by the two leaders remained unanswered.