PM: Prasad idling away nation’s time
PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad came up with baseless motions so that he can “shilly-shally and idle away the nation’s time”. He said this while opposing Prof Prasad’s motion that Parliament authorised the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs to assess the impact of direct initiatives to farmers in the agricultural sector. “Why should we task a Standing Committee with doing what any Fijian already can, which is to read the extreme facts and data that the Government publishes regularly?
“If honourable Professor Prasad wants to assess the impacts of the initiatives and the current overall performance of the sector, he can read that data.” Mr Bainimarama said throughout the pandemic, agriculture was a reliable and resilient sector which grew to record strength, supporting livelihoods
He is arguing with facts and figures, and even a child would know better. – Voreqe Bainimarama
and enhancing Fiji’s nutrition security.
“We crossed the $100 million mark in agricultural export for the first time in 2020.
“The honourable Minister for Agriculture, in his ministerial statement, provided an update on how government initiatives have impacted the performance of the agriculture sector over the years, yet honourable Professor Prasad had the gall to call that support a juvenile attempt by the honourable minister.
“He is arguing with facts and figures, and even a child would know better.
“After breaking records in 2020 agriculture exports rose to a further $123 million in 2021.”
He said Fiji had witnessed significant growth in the export of kava, ginger and turmeric among other spices in the past two years, exported mostly to the United States of America.