Australia contributed a total of $370 million in direct budgetary support to Fiji over the past four years as part of its covid-related assistance.
Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian High Commission in Fiji Stuart Watts said it was a “privileged role” for Australia to be able to help Fiji in times of need.
“We realized during covid that tourist was 40 per cent of the economy here and without that, Fiji was in a little bit of strife. So Australia wanted to step in and we are privileged to be allowed to come and support Fiji,” Mr Watts said.
“We’ve provided $F370m over the last four years in direct budget support for the Ministry of Finance and the Fiji Government to keep social protection, to keep health and education flowing. And I use the world ‘privileged’ because it’s an honour to be able to come and do that stuff. We want to be able to support Fiji because it goes to the people.”
Australia also provided Fiji with $1.6m worth of covid vaccine and is Fiji’s biggest donor to the health sector.
“For this year alone, we just signed $81m with DPM Prasad,” said Mr Watts.
“These were measures that were brought in to help Fiji during that really tough time of Covid. Now, this won’t be there forever.
“It was to help transition Fiji back to being pre-Covid. I don’t think we will be able to provide it on a permanent basis but we will do what we can.”
Australia has also provided $44m to rehabilitate schools in Vanua Levu that were damaged during cyclone Yasa in 2020.
“I’ve been up there twice, at Dreketi and Lekutu and looking at those schools. “And hopefully the first of those schools will be done come July/August and over the next year the rest of them will be completed. “Unfortunately it has taken a little longer than we all hoped but we want to get those kids back into those schools and I think that’s a really positive story,” Mr Watts said.
He commended Prof Prasad and the team at the Ministry of Finance for what he said was a “fantastic” 2023-2024 Budget.
“The world is suffering after Covid and I think every government is dealing with rising debt and tough fiscal conditions at home and I think they’re showing a really positive sign about tackling that,” he added.
