AUST INJECTS $81.5 MILLION MORE FOR BUDGET SUPPORT
Budget support will help maintain essential services, protect the most vulnerable and contribute to private sector-led economic growth
Australia will provide an additional $81.5million in budget support to Fiji this financial year (FY2022-23).
This is to help the Government of Fiji maintain essential services, protect the most vulnerable, and contribute to private sector-led economic growth.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed this after meeting Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the Blackrock Military Camp in Nadi yesterday.
“Very positive and I look forward to developing a strong relationship with the Prime Minister and the friendship between the two countries will get stronger in the future,” Mr Albanese said after the bilateral meeting.
Mr Rabuka acknowledged the Australian Government for the announcement.
“We cannot be choosers, we appreciate everything we get and it is useful in our programmes,” he said.
“Bilateral is mostly about what the two countries can do together, our cooperation and our common interest.”
Invitation to Australia
Mr Rabuka added his counterpart also reiterated his invitation to Australia this year.
“I want to go and visit. It will be mid-year June or July, a good time for them, which is a slow time of the year, cold and they will have a lot of time to entertain visitors,” he said.
Their meeting in Blackrock also marked their first visit to the camp. Mr Rabuka was also accorded tradional ceremonies of Qaloqalovi and sevusevu by the RFMF. Mr Albanese was accorded a simi
lar iTaukei protocol by the Fiji Government.
This latest tranche is an extension of Australia’s budget support for Fiji through the pandemic, comprising over AUD243 million (FJD364 million) since 2020.
The COVID 19 pandemic had unprecedented economic and social impacts in Fiji, given the importance of international tourism to its economy.
This budget support was a central part of the Australian Government’s assistance for Fiji through the pandemic, in addition to vaccines and health systems support.
As part of this budget support programme, Australia and Fiji have agreed on a range of reform indicators, in three areas:
1. Strengthened public financial management for fiscal resilience and sustainability;
Enhanced climate and social resilience; and
2. Improved enabling environment for resilient private sector-led recovery and growth.
3. Australia’s fiscal budget support since 2020, developed in close collaboration with the ADB and World Bank, has helped the Fijian Government to progress a range of issues:
■ Last year, Fiji approved its firstever medium-term debt management strategy to ensure fiscal sustainability and resilience.
■ Australia’s direct budget support helped Fiji maintain its social protection funding throughout the pandemic.
The Fiji Government has decided to review its social protection programme, as part of this year’s budget support package.
They are:
In 2021, a key reform was the passing of Fiji’s Climate Change Act, which uses a gender-sensitive framework to guide implementation.
■ This year, Fiji will approve the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls 2022-2027, the second country in the world (along with Australia) to have such a plan.
In addition to grant budget support, Australia has committed $132 million to Fiji in FY2022-23 in official development assistance.
This includes AU$40 million (about FJ$59.26m) in bilateral investments, with the remainder flowing from Australia’s global and regional aid programmes.
Australia’s aid programme aims to help Fiji improve the efficiency of service delivery and promote broad-based, private-sector-led economic growth.
Australia’s bilateral aid investments are focused on health security, stability, and economic recovery, with a particular emphasis on health, education, social protection, gender equality, and private sector development.