Kreetika Kumar 
Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube (left), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad. [File Photo]
Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube’s suggestion that Australia should review its modality budget support to Fiji is clearly an attempt to sabotage our economy says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad.
Professor Prasad says that Narube’s claims that the Government was misusing funds it received from Australia was baseless and an outrageous lie.
He adds that Narube has reached a new low in his recent statements at the Climate Integrity Conference 2025, in Canberra where he used the funding for COP 29 as an example.
Narube said that if Australia wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pacific Islands, it must close its credibility gap.
The DPM says that he had made it absolutely clear that the size of the Fiji delegation was 56 and not 100 as claimed by Narube.
He said 91 percent of the total cost of $1.2 million was funded and Government only forked out the cost for 5 delegates.
Professor Prasad says that the external funding did not come from Australia alone.
He adds that there were multiple donors, agencies and NGOs that all agreed that Fiji needed to have reasonable coverage during all the multi-sectoral negotiation tracks.
Professor Prasad says Fiji is grateful to Australia for being its largest development partner.
He adds that it is shocking that as a consultant and former RBF Governor, Narube deliberately ignores how basic accountabilities and reporting is built into all budget support arrangements.
