17 Jan 2014

Fiji outlines election budget and likely international aid

9:29 am on 17 January 2014

The budget for this year's election in Fiji has been set at $23 million US dollars.

The Fiji Times reports Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has said most of the amount will be given by donors.

The Government has allocated $9.5 million US dollars for the elections in the 2014 Budget and Papua New Guinea is expected to give another $10million US dollars in March this year.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said donor nations have put their hands up on how they would like to help Fiji, but not everybody would be giving financial aid.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said India had given an undertaking for providing indelible ink while another nation would be providing voting booths.

He has earlier said the election ballot would be held over one day and the Electoral Commission would employ about 19,000 workers for election day.

Under the new constitution, the election must take place before the end of September.