Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says except for cosmetic changes here and there, the suffering and hardship of the people at large will continue unabated.

Chaudhry while giving his response to the 2024-2025 budget says it does nothing to meet the expectations of ordinary people for relief from the soaring cost of living.

Chaudhry says the Prime Minister gave an assurance that they were listening to the people’s cry for relief but the Budget makes it clear that they did not listen at all. It was just plain rhetoric to fool the people because the 15% VAT imposed in the last Budget stays.

He says the increase in minimum wage from $4 to $5 an hour is totally inadequate. It simply goes up by 50c from 1 August and a further 50c from 1 April 2025.

Chaudhry says Social Welfare allowance remains the same at $125 a month he says the Minister has added the $25 a month bus fare subsidy to the welfare payment. These are the people in the lower rungs of society most affected by high costs of living.

The Party leader adds worse still, the eligibility age has increased from 60 to 65 years.