Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad agrees that Fiji’s debt is still too high.
Speaking on the FBC TV program “Your Voice,” the Finance Minister acknowledges that although Fiji’s public debt has reduced to 75.4 percent of GDP from a high of 90.7 percent, it remains a significant burden.
Prasad says the coalition government is ensuring that it advocates for finance that is sustainable.
He says that Fiji still needs to borrow, but it will only do so with loans that have concessional terms that are well aligned with how Fiji can manage its debts.
Prasad says the government has set its strategy, and a major focus is on further reducing Fiji’s debt.
“We’ve put in a strategy over the next five and ten years we want to bring down our debt-to-GDP ratio to around 60 percent.”
Prasad says currently one-quarter of Fiji’s budget goes to debt repayment.
The coalition government inherited a debt of around $10 billion when it came to power in 2022.
