Australia provides a further AUD$85 million in direct budget support to Fiji

Australia has provided a further AUD$85 million in direct budget support to the Fijian Government.

Since the pandemic started, Australia has provided AUD$168.5 million in financial support to Fiji.

Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja while speaking virtually from Australia says Fiji’s economy has been one of the hardest hit globally due to COVID and the scars of the pandemic will be felt in the region for years to come.

Seselja says their fiscal support is helping address Fiji’s immediate fiscal pressures, debt sustainability and bolstering vital services.

He adds this package supports Fiji’s ongoing reforms and also acknowledged Fiji’s response to COVID-19.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this direct budget support has been of tremendous assistance to Fiji in particular given the pandemic.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the funding will go to a host of programs that have been announced in the budget itself.

He further says this direct budget support is in conjunction with the ADB loans that Fiji has taken out, and Fiji has had to take and meet a number of policy measures. Sayed-Khaiyum adds Fiji was fortunate to partner with Australia and NZ to get vaccines for Fijians.

He thanked Seselja for the confidence to provide direct budget support to Fiji which is an endorsement of the practices that the Ministry of Economy has engaged in.