Research Topic

The Fijian Government have revised their 2021-2022 National Budget. There are interesting comments on this revised budget by individuals and the opposition parties.

Purpose Your assignment will examine the nature and impact of the 2021-2022 revised Fijian government budget in the context of the strengths and weaknesses.

Required:

Your will examine the article below pertaining to the 2021-2022 Fijian Revised National Budget. Your findings must be reported in a manner consistent with an individual assignment showing the following:

Current status of the implementation of the 2021-2022 Fijian National Budget

The impact of the 2021-2022 Revised Fijian National Budget

Your comments and recommendations

Concession budget

The Revised National Budget 2021- 2022 presented by the Attorney-General and the Minister of Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on March 24, 2022, appears to have been a concession budget one that was supposed to calm the disillusioned FijiFirst supporters, who were ready to desert the Bainimarama-Khaiyum government at the forthcoming 2022 General Election.

This budget appears to ensure that FijiFirst supporters do not leave the party, and at the same time cast even a larger net in order to capture masses of Opposition supporters.

Thirdly, the concessions in the budget also appear to be targeted at the voters sitting on the fence; the side lines, not able to make their minds up before the revised budget. This would help them to jump the fence onto the side of the FijiFirst party.

Former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry remarked that the budget was to bait voters, (Budget to bait voters Chaudhry queries timing of sudden change of heart FT 27/03/22), to ensure that voters previously very dissatisfied by FijiFirst performance, would renew their support at the next polls and not desert the party.

The sweetener budget had to be delivered, whatever the case, in the dying days of the 2018-2022 parliament.

There had been considerable support for VAT exemptions and the removal of the 20 cents fuel levy, in the face of food and fuel price rises and inflation.

This was leading to grave hardship, increasing opposition support.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, a shrewd astute sharp smart perceptive discerning and tactical politician and strategist, that he is would not allow the opposition to trump him, nor get any traction with voters leading up to the election.

Having time and opportunity on his side he must have decided to change tact, and quickly adopted the zero-rated VAT, and the removal of the 20 cents fuel levy, as the key corner-stones of his revisions.

The zero-rated VAT, it is said, was an opposition manifesto issue an issue allegedly opposed by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, previously.

Whatever the case, no one had any caveat on ideas, and who was going to stop Mr Sayed-Khaiyum from doing some good for the nation.

This is the face of protests about food and energy prices.

Media was reporting Boot them Out! (FT 22/03/22), A Rallying Cry for Change Nation-wide -Rabuka (FT 23/03/22), Out of Touch with The Times (FT 07/03/22), Peoples Alliance leader lashes out at PM, A-G (FT 22/03/22), Running on Empty (FT 23/03/22), Cry for Change People tired of being ruled by arrogance, spite and rule by fear (FT 23/03/22); with the tenor of discontentment becoming quite evident and louder, day by day before the budget date.

After the revised budget was brought down, the opposition were incensed and felt trumped, right before the very crucial 2022 parliamentary election.

Before this, the opposition had the best chance to wrestle back Bainimarama-Khaiyum government, riding on the back of the zero-rated VAT strategy.

Even the $5 per hour National Minimum Wages (NMW) smoking gun election campaign draw-card of the opposition, had been fully neutralised.

The Bainimarama-Khaiyum government had thrown cold water, into the second most important electioneering agenda item, after the zero-rated VAT issue offering $4 per hour NMW albeit from January 1, 2023.

Quite simply the opposition had been thrown a grenade in their 2022 election plans, with the major parts of their election-winning manifesto platform policy strategy philosophy declaration, torn to shreds in bits and pieces.

The opposition was stunned, outgunned and conveniently silenced, by the astute strategy of Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, who did not mince words. and put salt into the wounds of the opposition declaring that only fools would oppose the revised budget, coming into effect on April Fools Day.

This was just too much too soon for the opposition as the official election campaign only a month away, starting on April 26, 2022.

Stunned and silenced Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had not only put the opposition plans in disarray confusion dismay disorder panic alarm, but his imaginative, tactical counter-measures, had brought the entire election, much closer overnight.

He had given the opposition a fight. The opposition was not going to simply walk away with the prize, and form the next government on a silver platter, without a fight.

Thus, even if Fijians feel that the 2021-2022 Revised National Budget, is a pacifier, a sweetener, and an attempt to bait voters it appears that the tactics strategies plans and manoeuvres of Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, have provided the required traction to keep the electorate happy in the interim and to also ensure that the election, did not just slip away.

The revised budget has definitely positioned the opposition back on the drawing board, and made them think hard, to strategise and plan out their future campaigns.

This would be a daunting task, as the smoking gun features that were the main draw-card of their election platform, had now been fully neutralised by the political maestro, and genius.

Single handed, the Mr Sayed-Khaiyum revised budget, delivered what it was supposed to do.

Like a grenade thrown into the mix, it had the power to muddle and confuse the opposition voters, including the power to hypnotise the opposition parties future plans and policy direction.

Whatever the case, Mr Sayed Khaiyum is a strategist and has had many years to learn and sharpen his skills.

He surely will try to fully neutralise his governments bad image, if any, and will not allow the opposition to get any traction, and run away with the 2022 elections.

With incumbency on his side, and with an interim-budget which will now make many poor happy to stay by his side, he surely has got the opposition on the ropes; making it that much harder to fight the next election.

A knock-out punch that the opposition was thinking it would have, come the voting day later this year or next, was now not going to eventuate without a fight.

Relegated back to the drawing board, the opposition team needs to regroup and work out their strategies, logistics, plans and establish a credible alternative coalition party willing and waiting in the wings, with a definite plan and policy direction able and willing to hit the ground running from day one, should they snatch victory in the general election, later this year.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum will get another bite at the cherry -when later in June or July, he will yetagain deliver the Annual National Budget 2022-2023, when he will have the opportunity to show the opposition, the last sting in his tail.

With time and opportunity on his side, he will once more spoil the best laid plans of the opposition only a month or two into the election campaign period throwing a spanner in the works, making the opposition scurry back again to their drawing board, to re-strategise their ongoing campaigns and approaches neutralising all the opposition talking points, thus far.

With the opposition rattled with their backs to the wall, he will throw in an early election, and not allow them to regroup.

This will end the dreams of the opposition to form the next government.

If I were the opposition, I would not start celebrating, just yet.