PM LAUNCHES NATIONAL PLAN
It outlines where Fiji wants to be in the next five years and 20 years
IT OUTLINES WHERE FIJI WANTS TO BE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND 20 YEARS
ANat iona l Develop - ment Plan which focuses on where Fiji intends to be in the next five years and 20 years has been launched in Bonn, Germany. It was launched by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama on the margins of COP23 on Tuesday. He is also COP23 president. Mr Bainimarama highlighted that about 280 nationwide consultations were held before the Plan was finalised.
The entire NDP can be viewed on https://fiji2036.gov. fj.matatapacific.co/
On consultations
Consultations were paused while the country got back on its feet after the devastation of TC Winston but continued around Fiji few months later. Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said to realise Fiji’s development endeavours, the Plan was expected to inject over $50 billion of Government investment over the next 20 years.
This includes both funding for capital expenditure and expenditure for provision of social services. To finance this, the Fijian Government will mobilise its domestic revenues, both tax and non-tax, and access international financial resources, including funding from multilateral development partners. Self-funding of projects undertaken by State Owned Enterprises and municipal councils will complement funding from the central government. Financing through private sector partnerships and predictable climate finance will increasingly be a core source of financing.
Fiji had a national development plan before the coup of May 14 1987. After that, no such National Development Plan was formulated for close to 30 years. Government also has another 178 potential sites for renewable energy from sources like bio-mass, hydro, solar, wind, geo-thermal and ocean waves identified.
“We will also encourage and incentivise energy conservation by raising our building and fuel-emission standards. This is the major component of Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 from a business-as-usual scenario, using our 2013 greenhouse emissions as a baseline.
“Our population is projected to exceed 1.1 million in the next 20 years, and the vast majority will live in our towns and cities. Future development will be balanced to ensure a sustainable rural economy and vibrant, highly liveable urban centres with modern facilities and services.
“We will implement climatechange adaptation measures to ensure greater resilience to disasters. We will strengthen our existing capacities in areas like early-warning systems, weatherforecasting services and urban planning and development. “New building standards and innovative traffic-management plans that ease congestion will be major components in urban planning. We will make our rural communities more resilient to the threats of climate change and natural disasters by improving infrastructure and providing adequate utilities,” Mr Bainimarama said.
“This ambitious long-term national development plan certainly will require substantial funding, skilled and dedicated people, modern technology and support from our partners and friends. To realise our vision of transforming Fiji, we will rely on strong coordination, cooperation and productive partnerships with all our stakeholders. I know we will have that, and it makes me even more optimistic for the future.”
We will also encourage and incentivise energy conservation by raising our building and fuelemission standards. This is the major component of Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 from a business-as-usual scenario, using our 2013 greenhouse emissions as a baseline. Voreqe Bainimarama Prime Minister and COP23 President