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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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

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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