Government Launches Trilingual Citizens’ Guide to 2025–26 Budget

The Ministry of Finance today launched the Citizens’ Guide to the 2025–26 National Budget, for the first time published in English, iTaukei, and Hindi — a move hailed as a milestone in making the national budget accessible, transparent, and inclusive for every Fiji citizen.

Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said this was the third simplified guide produced under his leadership, but the first to be translated into all three of Fiji’s main languages. He said the goal was to ensure that “every Fijian can understand and engage with their national budget.”

Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal commended the government for prioritising effective communication of its policies to the grassroots, saying this step would strengthen democratic engagement and public understanding.

Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) head Vani Catanasiga thanked the Minister and his team, noting that the multilingual, simplified format would make community outreach far more effective. “When we go into villages and settlements, we can now present the budget in the language people are most comfortable with, and in a way that’s easy to follow,” she said.

The Ministry said printed and digital versions of the guide will be made available nationwide, alongside community presentations to encourage public participation in budget discussions.