Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum has told an Asian Development Bank seminar that Fiji needs better access to climate adaptation finance to build its resilience to events like Cyclone Winston.
Sayed-Khaiyum was part of a high level panel at the ADB’s 50th annual meeting in Yokohama, Japan, that included the Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, ministers from Indonesia and Norway and a representative from India.
He says Fiji faces an enormous challenge with the ability to attract private sector investment.
Sayed-Khaiyum says one of the solutions is to attract finance for regional climate projects that benefited Fiji and other Pacific nations.
He also says that tourism is an area in which Fiji could work with its neighbours to attract more development.
The Minister for Economy said the Government’s partnership with Fiji Airways to develop the Singapore route plus the new code sharing arrangement with India’s Jet Airways had opened up new markets for visitors who would not only visit Fiji but other island nations.
He also highlighted opportunities in the services sector such as call centres to take advantage of Fiji’s time zone and the neutral accents of its people.
