Fiji’s Coalition Government will, among other things, prioritise project delivery and service efficiency in the 2025-2026 national budget.
Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad says the upcoming budget will set clear expectations for ministries and agencies to implement funded projects without delay.
“We’ll be quite blunt in this budget about what agencies and ministries ought to do,” Professor Biman said. “Budget allocations are for a particular purpose, and we expect ministries to implement and deliver.”
The government is also considering reallocating funds between ministries based on performance and efficiency.
“We will also look at whether we need to move funding from one ministry to another based on the assessments we make — for example, devolving certain amounts of funding to town and city councils to handle drainage and garbage collection, instead of centrally providing that funding to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing,” he said.
This direction reflects the priorities outlined in the government’s Medium Term Fiscal Strategy for 2025–2026 to 2027–2028, which places a strong emphasis on results-based planning and value for money. Under the strategy, funding will be directed toward high-impact projects aligned with the National Development Plan, and new initiatives will be rolled out in phases, allowing for pilot testing before full implementation.
The government is also promoting public-private partnerships to support infrastructure and services while maintaining a targeted expenditure mix of 30% capital and 70% operating spending to balance development with essential service provision. Ministries will be expected to work within defined expenditure ceilings, and the Ministry of Finance will closely monitor progress to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Professor Biman adds that the government remains committed to diversifying the economy, with a focus on agriculture, new industries, and strengthening the business process outsourcing sector. Improving the ease of doing business and reducing approval delays across government agencies will also be looked at.
“We’re not shying away from the challenges,” Professor Biman said. “We’ve made some improvements, but more work still needs to be done.”
Meanwhile, public consultations on the 2025–2026 budget will continue next week in Nadi and the Northern Division. The Ministry of Finance has invited citizens across Fiji to contribute ideas and feedback through face-to-face sessions or by submitting their views via email (budgetsubmission@finance.gov.fj), post (Ministry of Finance, PO Box 2212, Government Buildings, Suva), or hand-delivering them to the ministry at Level 10, Ro Lalabalavu House in Suva.
Stakeholder consultations are expected to continue through May, with the budget scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in June.
