Downer ‘wrong’ says Fiji’s Chaudhry
An AAP report says that claims by Australia that Fiji faces an economic crisis are “grossly misinformed”, says the Pacific nation’s military government, with Fiji’s interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry hitting back at Australian Foreign Minister’s Alexander Downer’s recent economic assessment.
“Downer’s statement on the current state of Fiji’s economy is grossly misinformed and misleading,” Chaudhry said in a statement issued on the Fiji government website.
“His claim that Fiji’s foreign currency reserves are at a record low is completely false as our foreign reserves have stabilised since January this year and stand at $831 million, worth 3.4 months of imports”.
Chaudhry blamed Australia and New Zealand, who have issued travel warnings about Fiji, for a tourism downturn, saying, “Mr Downer’s negative statement on the current state of Fiji’s economy is not surprising given Australia’s attitude throughout, and its deliberate efforts to bring about a collapse of the Fiji economy”.
Australia has had a frosty relationship with the military administration in Fiji that ousted the elected government in December last year and on Sunday, Mr Downer warned of problems with Fiji’s economy, saying, “The outlook for the Fiji economy is bleak with employment, construction activity and tourism trending downwards and foreign currency reserves at a record low”.
He added, “The interim regime must take immediate steps to avert the economic crisis Fiji faces by moving to restore democracy and confidence in the rule of law as soon as possible.” “If the regime fails to do this, Fiji’s economic prospects will be increasingly bleak and the ordinary people of Fiji will continue to suffer.”
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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