Our manifesto has sent shock waves into the FijiFirst Party - Prasad

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad has said that their manifesto has sent shockwaves into the FijiFirst Party.

He made this comment in response to the statements made about their manifesto after its launch.

Professor Prasad says when he became the leader of the party in 2014, he used to write papers about poverty, the economy and the high cost of living however his real understanding of the way a family runs their expenses has come after travelling around the country in the past 4 years and speaking to the people.

He says when he went around the country talking to the people trying to formulate the NFP manifesto, he found that one of the biggest concerns for the people was the high cost of living.

Professor Prasad has talked about two different stories done by a media outlet. In one he says a woman speaks of her struggles and how she copes with the high cost of living.

He shared another story written about a course facilitator following the story about the woman with struggles which says the course facilitator does not have a problem with the high cost of living and the Attorney General.

Prasad says NFP has been saying for the last 4 years that lets do something to bring the cost of living down.

He says in the 2014 manifesto, the FijiFirst had promised that they will keep VAT zero rated on basic food items.

Prasad says this is the only government to charge VAT on basic food items since the implementation of VAT in 1992.

He also spoke about NFP $5 minimum wage rate.

Prasad has assured the people of Fiji that no amount of fear mongering by FijiFirst and some employers will take away the fact that the workers in Fiji need just wages. He says no worker in the country will lose their job and no business is going to run out of business.

Meanwhile FijiFirst General Secretary and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum had earlier called the National Federation Party’s Manifesto as a last attempt before NFP’s extinction from Fijian politics.

Sayed‑Khaiyum said the NFP’s Manifesto will raise the national debt by over 2 billion dollars each year and will put Fiji into a deep crisis within the first 100 days and cripple the Fijian economy.

Sayed‑Khaiyum also says crisis is all they see in the NFP Manifesto adding that all Fijians in particular the low income families will suffer.

He says too much spending on consumption will drain international reserves and force devaluation and unchecked devaluation will lead to increased costs of food items, goods and services.