Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says Fiji is currently going through a major skill migration which has the potential to harm our fragile post pandemic progress.
Prof Prasad said Government needs to rethink how to rebuild the human resource infrastructure across the Pacific and a fully integrated Pacific region with a visa free arrangement is a crucial part of this fix.
He said that this has to be a short term goal and not a long term one.
“As we grapple with this, it is time to recalibrate and re-strategize to adapt to this new normal.”
“Our focus has to be solutions. You also know that the Blue Pacific is diverse and welcoming. Make the Blue Pacific the home for new ideas, testing new approaches and for scaling policies and program innovations,” he said.
Prof Prasad said Fiji’s post pandemic recovery remains strong with further impetus anticipated from the impacts of the carefully calibrated budget.
He said the budget for this financial year has been configured to address challenges such as fiscal sustainability by reducing debt to more sustainable levels, promoting private sector economic rejuvenation and taking care of the low income and vulnerable households.
Prof Prasad added that following strong recovery last year, the domestic economy is poised to grow by eight per cent this year, largely driven by anticipated full recovery in tourism and related sectors with positive flow on effects to the rest of the economy.
