Issue No: 185; 8 November 2000
The regime today announced that it will not be able to announce next year's budget on Friday as it had earlier planned.
The deferral was attributed to "security considerations following the incidents in military headquarters in Suva last
week".
The Qarase Cabinet met yesterday. The media reported that it was a long meeting where the issue of land lease (ALTA) was
discussed at length. It is understood that the deferral in the budget is related to the regime's indecision on land
lease renewals for the thousands of farmers whose leases are expiring. The People's Coalition government had put in a
financial package to assist in resettlement of evicted farmers as well as assisting landowners who wanted to enter into
commercial farming.
Meanwhile the Reserve Bank of Fiji reports that the economic outlook for Fiji remains weak.
End 8 November 2000