What is in Store for Fiji Under FijiFirst?
Countries the world over develop their National Development Plans, a blueprint which governments use to chart their country’s way forward.
Fiji too has had a go at putting a document which it can use.
This was initially done in the 1980s, but it became one of those documents gathering dust on a shelf in one of the many Government offices.
In Bonn last year, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama launched Fiji’s National Development Plan which maps out what Fiji intends to achieve in five years and in 20 years. Every citizen should know what is in store for the country and how serious we are about progressing as a nation.
A country’s progress should not be at the whim of politicians, as seen too many times in the past where rights were a privilege accorded to a few and where certain rights were not accorded to certain communities because it was a touchy issue.
Our National Development Plan should be well thought out and something which every Fijian would be proud of.
What is in store for Fijians under FijiFirst:
By 2036, FijiFirst hopes to have a four-fold increase in GDP per person. Our current per capita income stands at around $10,000. Based on current economic performance, economic outlook and projected population growth, Fiji is likely to achieve a four-fold increase in income per person by 2036. This is consistent with a sustained annual real GDP growth averaging 4 per cent to 5 per cent, investment levels of 25 per cent of GDP and an inflation target of 2 per cent to 3 per cent. As highlighted in the NDP, a four-fold increase in per capita income over the next 20 years will push Fiji up the international development ladder and lead to tangible improvements in the lives of all Fijians. Government debt to be reduced to 35 per cent of GDP with more than fourfold growth in nominal GDP expected, government debt will be reduced to 35 per cent of GDP over the next 20 years. Government believes that this commitment will be achieved through an expansion in the overall size of the economy, resulting from transformational shifts rather than by constraining the development budgets of government. This means instead of saving at the cost of poor infrastructure, the expansion in size of the economy will lead the charge. Reducing the unemployment rate to below 4 per cent. With sustained economic expansion and the implementation of new job creation policies, the unemployment rate will be reduced to below 4 per cent. All Fijians will be empowered with education and skill sets so that they may be easily absorbed into the workforce. Work on this has already started. Having technical colleges in strategic locations in the country means that people with skills in blue collar jobs will have the required qualifications as well. Government has already launched the YES- Young Entrepreneurship Scheme which is targeted at making young Fijians job creators instead of job seekers. Eradicating poverty. Government is tackling this head on. With the rapid economic and social development over the last decade, poverty is now on a declining trend. A new measure of poverty that incorporates relevant and measurable social determinants will be developed to help guide improvements to service delivery. Extreme poverty and hardship will be eradicated, and wellbeing improved.
100 per cent access to clean and safe water and proper sanitation. Every Fijian has a right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities. This right is also enshrined in our Constitution. According to our National Development Plan, for the urban areas, 100 per cent access to clean and safe water will be realised by 2021 and for the rural and maritime areas by 2030. To support low-income households, the free water programme will continue. To meet the long-term demand, new dam sites including the Sovi river catchment, upper Waimanu River and Waibogi in the upper reaches of Navua River have been identified. Other potential sites in the Western and Northern divisions will be identified in the future, and feasibility studies will be undertaken for new dam development. The National Development Plan also revealed that consideration will be given to joint development of both water supply and hydro-power. Electricity for all. Ninety per cent of the population currently has access to electricity. Electrification projects in the rural and maritime areas will be expedited to ensure that the entire population has access to electricity by 2021. Further grid extensions will be undertaken on Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Ovalau and Taveuni. Government will continue to fully fund rural electrification projects, including connections for households near the grid lines. For the rural and outer islands, decentralised renewable energy sources such as solar, mini hydro, hybrid biofuel/diesel operated generators and wind systems will be adopted where feasible. Electricity generation from renewable energy sources will be increased to 100 per cent by 2036. Apart from the ongoing hydro projects such as the Qaliwana/Upper Wailoa Diversion Hydro Project and Lower Ba Hydro Project, new areas will be identified for feasibility studies. Other renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and wave and tidal energy will be developed where they are viable and affordable.
Provision of affordable housing. All households will have access to affordable housing through the construction of new housing units. Ensuring that more land is made available for home construction will help increase the supply of housing. Government will encourage both public and private investments in the provision of housing units with strata titles. Investment in the establishment of “vertical villages” will be supported to accommodate a more diverse group of Fijians, that is, with differing incomes, cultural and occupational backgrounds and family sizes. This diversity will help improve the marketability of public housing units with strata titles. The Housing Authority and Public Rental Board will ensure that more land is developed for residential lots and more affordable and accessible housing is provided.
More on what is in the National Development Plan tomorrow
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