‘This is heartbreaking’ Opposition parties express views on FCOSS article

INSTEAD of electioneering, Government must ensure its economic policies leaves no Fijian hungry or forces children to scavenge for scrap metal or sell food to help feed their families.

This was the view expressed by National Federation Party vicepresident Lenora Qereqeretabua.

She made the comment in response to articles in The Fiji Times this week where Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) executive director Vani Catanasiga highlighted that children were sifting through waste at dump sites for scrap metal, and some were selling food outside supermarkets at night to help put food on the table.

Ms Qereqeretabua said the State should focus on uplifting livelihoods, and protecting and rejuvenating the most vulnerable in society, so every Fijian is able to provide their children three decent meals a day.

“Any government or leader, with an iota of conscience, will never shirk its basic commitment to the people, which is to ensure no one person is hungry for a day,” she said.

“We are Fiji, supposedly a beacon of hope for the rest of the world and practising true and genuine democracy. Instead, we are told by a prominent NGO Fiji Council of Social Services that our children and obviously their families are hungry and basically suffering from food poverty.

“This is heartbreaking and extremely tragic for a nation that supposedly enjoyed 10 years of unprecedented economic boom until 2019.”

Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said the revelation by FCOSS was “a shocking indictment of the FijiFirst Government’s failure to take care of the poor”.

“It’s going to get worst in the coming days with food prices soaring further,” he said.

“The cost of living will reach new heights as has been forecast by leading financial institutions and analysts. This government has not prepared for it as far as the unemployed and the poor are concerned. It has been borrowing and spending foolishly and has not cared to create a buffer against external shocks despite our vulnerability to such situations Labour calls on the Government to take immediate action to assist the affected families through food programs. This is best done accessing the services of NGOs and faith organisations for timely and efficient delivery.”

Questions sent to the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, remained unanswered when this edition went to press.