Opposition MP Premila Kumar Slams Government Over Ballooning National Debt

Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar has accused the coalition government of irresponsible borrowing, claiming it has added nearly as much debt in two years as the previous government did in twelve.

Speaking in Parliament, Kumar stated that the current administration has borrowed $2.6 billion since taking office, with projections indicating that this figure will rise to $3.3 billion by the end of its term—despite there being no national crisis to justify such borrowing.

“To put this in perspective,” she said, “previous governments borrowed $6.4 billion over 16 years, while managing over 14 cyclones and a once-in-a-century pandemic. This government, in one term, will add more than half of that amount—with no national crisis.”

Kumar accused the government of misleading voters by promising fiscal responsibility and sound economic management, only to “plunge the nation into deeper debt.”

“This is not debt reduction. It is a failure of leadership and fiscal discipline,” she added. “How can the people of Fiji trust a government that treats national debt as an endless credit line, risking our nation’s future? It’s like running up the national credit card to host a party, then borrowing again to pay the bill.”

She also criticised claims that debt is being paid down, noting that national debt has continued to rise from $9.1 billion to $10.8 billion, and now to $11.7 billion.

“These are not signs of debt being paid off — it is a sign of debt spiralling out of control,” Kumar warned.