State wants to remove economic shackles, says Sayed-Khaiyum

GOVERNMENT wants to remove economic shackles and not depend on aid, says Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

He made the comment while delivering closing remarks at the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry post 2020-2021 budget discussion at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, yesterday.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum made the statement while attacking The Fiji Times and other “joke publications” for running stories from economic and political commentators who were “only looking at one or two things” without getting comment from Government.

“And our position is this, we want the economy to run, we would rather get the economic shackles being taken off and not depend on aid,” the A-G said.

“Aid is actually psychologically demoralising too if you continuously become aid-dependent.

“It does not actually build up your own personal capacity as an individual and also as a country.

“Seventy per cent of the population is below the age of 40, any rightminded media organisation, any economic or political commentator, also needs to look at the big picture.

“Needless to say that all these young people’s potential needs to be realised.

“We can do well as a country if we look at the big picture.

“So it is quite frankly a new space that we all must think outside the box.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said Government’s focus was on building the “right fundamentals” and reigniting confidence to reinvigorate the economy.