The budget of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces was questioned at the 2017/2018 National Budget Consultation at Fiji National University Nasinu Campus.
A question was raised at the Budget Consultation on whether there will be a reduction in the military budget and if the budget is mainly for the purchase of arms.
Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum says that the big military budget is a result of the need to increase the size of the Navy.
Sayed‑Khaiyum said the Fijian military includes the Navy and there is a lot of illegal fishing in Fijian waters which the Navy looks into.
He also said that RFMF engineers perform a lot of development including building schools in the outer islands.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says they are very much part of the development scheme and they need to be equipped accordingly.
He says the RFMF is also part of peacekeeping duties and that requires the purchasing of up to date equipment and they get reimbursed by the United Nations but that does not happen immediately.
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