Session 4.1: Fiji Country Presentation Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development & Capacity Building Workshop for Pacific SIDS
14-15 December 2020
Climate Change and International Cooperation DivisionMinistry of Economy
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03
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SDG Progress (Pre and Post COVID-19)
Gaps and Challenges
Way Forward
Outline
SDGs Progress Pre COVID-19
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⚫ Up until end of 2019, Fiji was expected to record its 11th year of consecutive economic growth
⚫ Employment creation was and still is at the heart of this sustained economic progress
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2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2007 2014 2017Total Female Male
Figure 1: Unemployment Rate (% of labour force, 15+)
SDGs Progress Pre COVID-19 (Cont’d)
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⚫ Leaving no Fijian Behind
⚫ Comprehensive social assistance programmes
⚫ Coupled with various welfare to workfare programmes administered by NGOs and development partners
Figure 2: Core Social Assistance Programmes Coverage
92,940106,160
16,472
43,137
3,141
7,4157,244
11,3422,899
2,781
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
2014-2015 2018-2019
Poverty Benefit Scheme Social Pension Scheme Care and Protection Allowance
Bus Fare Programme Food Voucher Programme
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SDGs Progress Pre COVID-19 (Cont’d)
• Improved access to health services and quality education
• Free Medicine Scheme for selected vulnerable Fijians and Free Education from
Years 1 to 13
• Access to clean water and sanitation is continuing to improve, particularly in urban
areas
❖Needs to improve further from 78 of the population to 100% by 2021
• Trailblazing initiatives such as the following are driving progress:
❖Rural Water Supply Scheme - implemented through Water Authority of Fiji
❖Rural Electrification Projects – implemented through Department of Energy
❖Fiji Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Project (partial GCF
Funding)
❖Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Scheme – Reserve
Bank of Fiji
❖First Home Buyers Assistance
SDGs Progress Pre COVID-19 (Cont’d)
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⚫ Pre COVID-19, Fiji was on track to achieve most of its SDGs by 2030.
⚫ National poverty declined from 35% in 2002-2003 and 31% in 2008-2009 to 28.1% in 2013-2014.
Figure 2: Fiji's National, Urban and Rural Poverty Rate
35 3128.1
4043
36.7
28 1819.8
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5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2002-2003 2008-2009 2013-2014
National Rural Urban
SDGs Post COVID-19
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⚫ COVID-19 has underscored the extreme vulnerability of PSIDS to exogenous economic shocks.
⚫ Negative 19% economic contraction.
⚫ 125,000 job losses or reduced hours.
⚫ Closure of over 500 SMES.
⚫ Massive fiscal revenue contraction.
⚫ Fiji is among the top 10 countries in the world with the largest economic contraction.
⚫ Financial sector is on the ropes – need stability.
⚫ Many years needed to fully recover growing losses of COVID-19.
⚫ Significant development finance is needed to supplement losses in domestic development funding.
Gaps and Challenges
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⚫ Massive decline in GDP has diminished capacity for
new and additional development needs.
⚫ Inherent vulnerabilities will be exacerbated by dual
threats of climate change and COVID-19.
⚫ Fiscal space does not allow billions in economic
stimulus – need for urgent resource mobilization from
development partners.
⚫ Access to affordable, predictable, sustainable and
adequate finance is lacking.
⚫ Scale and scope of development finance does not match
sustainable development needs.
⚫ Impact of climate change is massive – build resilience and
reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.
⚫ Rural poverty rates need to decline – focus on pro-rural
development initiatives.
⚫ Female labour market participation is low despite equal
representation in school and tertiary education.
⚫ Limited governance and institutional capacity – need to
improve absorptive capacity of development finance.
Pre COVID-19 Post COVID-19
Way Forward
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⚫ Apart from addressing the immediate socio-economic repercussions of COVID-19, Fiji suggests
the following as a way forward:
❖ Creation of national coordination mechanisms that drives progressions to SDGs
❖ Strengthen SDG data collection, management and timely interpretation.
❖ Improve national capacity to translate development needs into bankable projects
⚫ Decade of Action demands a transition from dialogues and policy development to rapid
implementation at scale.
⚫ Technology transfer is crucial to decrease the inherently high cost of service delivery in Fiji and
the Pacific.
Thank You