Unit Trust of Fiji payout: UTOF has declared its biggest-ever interim dividend, distributing $9.19m to 126,000+ investors (4.00 cents per unit for the Income and Growth Fund). Medicinal cannabis: Fiji is moving toward a possible medicinal cannabis industry after 75% of people consulted backed exploring medical products, with 17 consultations involving 518 people and 12 agencies. Jobs-first push: ILO education chief Dr Naren Prasad urged Fiji to shift from GDP-only thinking to creating quality jobs, fixing skills gaps, and retaining workers to tackle labour shortages and migration. Agri exports and finance: Food Processors Ltd is hunting new export markets for fresh/frozen produce (including Australia and NZ, plus Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru and Kiribati) and is considering an MoU with the Fiji Development Bank to improve farmers’ loan access. Rural water funding: Government allocated $10m for rural boreholes and water projects to close supply gaps outside urban areas. Lau enterprise support: Lau residents in cities and overseas are being encouraged to return and start micro-businesses, with a $250,000 de-risking fund to help banks lend to small operators. Budget debate: Opposition and government traded barbs over the 2026/27 National Budget, with critics warning debt and spending pressures, while ministers defended the approach and said cabinet cuts won’t solve the bigger fiscal challenge.