Some of strategies to alleviate poverty that is part of the National Development Plan 2025-2029 is to develop housing, national insurance and social security schemes under the Integrated National Poverty Eradication Programme.
The Plan also states that they will support and implement income generating opportunities for the people in formal and informal sectors through the Integrated National Poverty Eradication Programme, and develop and complement supportive community infrastructure for sustainable poverty alleviation.
The Plan adds while poverty alleviation will require sustained and inclusive economic growth, social protection will be a key element of national strategies to promote human development and to achieve a set of related objectives towards poverty alleviation.
The Plan says they will strengthen civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and Government partnership to deliver poverty alleviation programmes.
It also states the expansion of financial services inclusion through microfinance services, ensuring accessibility especially for women, vulnerable groups, persons with disability and marginalised groups, and provide parallel digital literacy campaigns.
The Plan also says that satellite markets will be established to support local vendors and boost economic activity in rural and maritime areas.
Alleviating poverty is the biggest priority in the National Development Plan according to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Cooperatives, Manoa Kamikamica.
The 2019-2020 Household Income and Expenditure Survey confirms that 24.1 percent of Fijians, or around 258,000 individuals in 45,724 households, live under the Basic Needs Poverty Line of $41.91 per adult equivalent per week.
It says in terms of multi-dimensional poverty, 3 out of 10 people are living on low incomes and lacking access to essential necessities.
It further says multidimensional poverty rate in rural areas is 38 percent, higher than in urban areas at 23 percent.
In an interview with fijivillage News, Kamikamica says from the Prime Minister’s perspective, alleviating poverty is the biggest priority in the plan.
He says job creation is one of the major ways to alleviate poverty.
The Deputy Prime Minister says there is a focus on rural community development, and it's important that the plan be geared toward solving one of the biggest challenges, which is the amount of poverty.
He adds there is no silver bullet when it comes to poverty, so it's all these elements working in tandem to get good outcomes when it comes to poverty alleviation.
While launching the Plan, Kamikamica says he envisages that this National Development Plan will act as a catalyst to bring a more transformative change to realize better economic growth and opportunities for greater prosperity for our current and future generations.
He says the plan is built on three core pillars, including economic resilience, people empowerment and good governance.
The Minister says they will promote accountability, transparency, and respect for the rule of law, protecting the sanctity of our democracy.
Kamikamica says the National Development Plan will aim to strengthen macroeconomic confidence, manage and enhance the productivity of our natural resources, catalyze economic growth, uplift the socioeconomic well-being of our people, develop public infrastructure and promote good governance and institutional reforms.
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