Speech Detail

The Honourable Speaker

The Honourable Prime Minister

The Honourable Leader of Opposition

Honourable Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers Honourable Members of Parliament

Ladies and Gentlemen; and

Members of the public tuning in live on Parliament’s Facebook Page via Walesi platform

Ni Sa Yadra Vinaka

Honourable Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to deliver my response to the 2024-2025 National Budget delivered on Friday 28th June, 2024.

 Honourable Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank my Heavenly Father, the mighty God I serve for his guidance, strength and wisdom.

I would also like to thank the Honourable Prime Minister for entrusting me with the Ministerial portfolio for Fisheries and Forestry - the first time a woman has ever been appointed to this position.

I also wish to thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Honourable Viliame Gavoka for his leadership and guidance and all the staff of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation for their comradeship for the past 18months.

To my predecessor, Hon. Ravu – Thank you for your service to the people and assisting the people and the stakeholders of both the fisheries and forestry sector.

To my family and supporters – Thank you for journeying with me.

“Vei kemuni na kaiciqu, na wekaqu, Va Yadra ika yani ena nomuni vei dela ni yavu va’uraga. Sa veisau beka na noqui u’u, noqui valeni volavola, ia se dua ikaga nai varau ni veiqaravi, au nui’ania ni se dei ika ga gana”

Honourable Speaker, in the words of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Honourable Prasad, “that this budget is to ensure that we remain committed and focused on positively impacting the lives of our teachers, our farmers, our rural communities, our people with disabilities, our taxi drivers, our nurses - and every person in Fiji by the way we manage our money and set out”.

Honourable Speaker, I welcome the comments by the Hon Leader of Opposition for the fisheries and forestry sector and I would like to applaud the Coalition Government for its foresight and support to resource based sectors. Both the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry have been provided an increased budget of $25.3 million and $31.4 million, respectively.

FISHERIES

Honourable Speaker, a total of $744,918.00 has been allocated to the Offshore Fisheries Management Division to support its Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) systems in combatting the Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing phenomenon in Fiji’s offshore sector.

Furthermore, Honourable Speaker the Ministry is grateful to be hosting this year’s Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) 21st Annual Session where 550 participants from across the globe will be converging in Suva to engage in considerations around the region’s tuna stocks and its development.

Honourable Speaker, $837,666 has been allocated for Fisheries Research Development to support the work currently being undertaken, in terms of species identification for commercial development, region wide species stock assessments and species development along life cycles.

Honourable   Speaker,   in   terms   of   the   technical   services, $123,024.00 has been allocated to allow for the purchasing of technical equipment that will assist with maintenance and repair works of the Ministry’s technical equipment noting that there are 23 ice plants, 32 service centres and 43 institutional quarters across the 4 Divisions.

Honourable Speaker, in terms of Aquaculture development,$1,875,866.00 has been allocated to cater for the provision of technical equipment to support the staff and further supplement the development of capital constructions.

Honourable Speaker, in terms of Projects that are under R, a total of $150,000.00 is being provided for the upgrades of the Lautoka, Sigatoka   and   Ba   Fisheries   stations.   

Honourable  Speaker,$500,000.00 is being provided for Coastal Fisheries Development,$700,000.00 is to support the Aquaculture Associations development aspirations, $400,000.00 is to increase support to the Food Security Program (FSP).

Honourable Speaker, for Projects that are not under R,$400,000.00 is provided to cater to the increase in solar panels at the Makogai Research Station, $100,000.00 to support fisheries research and conservation, $230,000.00 to support the Cawaro Ice plant, $100,000.00 for the initial preparatory works for Natewa and Natovi Fisheries Station, $350,000.00 to increase the support provided to farmers in engaging in commercial brackish water fisheries and $170,000.00 towards seaweed development.

FORESTRY

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry welcomes the allocation of $31.4 million for the 2024-2025 financial year, an increase of more than 40 percent from the previous financial year. 

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry will continue to address the issues of degraded forest through our forest and ecosystem restoration program with an allocation of $2.5 million in the next financial year. The funding will strengthen and support our efforts on the reforestation of degraded landscapes, forest conservation and the reforestation of native and exotic species.

Honourable Speaker, this will contribute to forest cover whilst contributing to our emissions reduction program and Fiji’s international commitments in combatting climate change.

Honourable Speaker, the allocation will also support the establishment of nursery, purchase of seedlings, plantation establishment and provide further incentive payments to communities engaging in the reforestation project.

Honourable Speaker, the reforestation activities also support our program on “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation” program, also known as REDD+ and its long standing working arrangements with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (or FCPF).

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry welcomes the allocation of $1.2 million for this project, an increase of 44% from the previous year, to support the Readiness Phase of Carbon Trading to be implemented throughout Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni, across 10 provinces, 20 districts and targeting 117 villages and lay the strategy of operationalizing the Look North Policy.

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry will continue to expand Maritime Pine projects to ensure the socio-economic benefits of the Forestry sector, including rehabilitation, rebuilding and economic development, which is now extended to our Maritime communities.

Honourable Speaker, recently, a jetty in Muani, Kadavu was constructed through the support of the Ministry, to enable the subsidized transport of logs. The increase of allocation for Maritime Pine Development and the Commercial Maritime Pine subsidy from $1.9 million to more than $2.8 million will allow the Ministry to continue its efforts in extending the Maritime project to additional islands in the Lomaiviti group and Lakeba.

Honourable Speaker, in our vision to support our economy and provide opportunities to resource owners through the development of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), the Ministry welcomes the allocation of $450 thousand, an increase of more than 100%.

The Ministry will focus on upgrading of Colo-i- Suva forest parks, establishment of new Community Forest Parks and upgrading of existing Community Forest Parks. The successful operations of Colo-i-Suva serves as a model for the establishment of other community parks to benefit resource owners and to generate related economic activities.

The Ministry will continue with Phase 2 operations for Lutu and Nadarivatu Community Foresty Parks established in the current financial year and in the next financial year and will support the Look North Policy through targeting the upgrading of the existing Lavena Community Park in Taveuni as well as looking into unlocking the potential of developing the province of Bua through these initiatives.

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry will also extend the establishment of Community Forest Parks into the Nadi district through converting natural resources into sightseeing opportunities for tourist and local visitors benefitting landowners, generating employment, boosting economic growth and further contributing to GDP growth.

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry also acknowledge the potential that exists in our cottage and small enterprise sector. The development of Cottage Industries in Fiji remains a priority for the Ministry to enhance landowner involvement in the sector.

The Budgetary allocation for the Forest Subsidy programme of $200,000 will provide financial support for new and existing small cottage industries. Funds will be utilised to procure woodworking machines and equipment to support youths, women and community based businesses who will in turn contribute to the growth of the sector.

Honourable Speaker, the Ministry welcomes the new allocation of $1.1m for the full upgrade of the Timber Industry Training Workshop and purchase of technical equipment to improve trainings for cottage industry, monitoring, control and surveillance for harvesting and logging.

Honourable Speaker, Community Development training will continue in the next financial year for house construction, chainsaw training and portable sawmill training and work attachments facilitated by the Ministry through our Timber Industry Training Centre (TITC).

Honourable Speaker, we will continue to support the Plantation Sector both the Fiji Pine Ltd in accessing Pine from Maritime Pine schemes and woodlots and Fiji Hardwood Corporation Ltd to support their certification process as well as restructure for improved Governance and more Landowner engagement.

The Landowner Trusts for both of these Companies, Fiji Pine Trust Extension and Fiji Mahogany Trust will receive a grant of $1.7m and $0.5m respectively. This will allow landowner training and development to generate revenue from their resources through the Trust.

Honourable Speaker, With all that being said, I commend and support the 2024-2025 budget and I thank you for the opportunity to speak –

Vinaka Saka.