There is work on a five year development plan for the whole country.

This was revealed to donors, bilateral and multi lateral partners in a first ever – face to face meeting with Fiji’s cabinet.

The plan will outline the focus of the Fiji government and where aid needs to be channelled.

Attorney General – Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this time around, there’s going to be a more coordinated approach to development and aid.

“It is not just good for the government for its target that this is what we have to achieve in Year One, Year Two, Year three and Year Four but also members of the public and development partners will know that this is the ball game.”

For the first time, development partners, aid agencies and heads of embassies – had the chance to talk directly to the policy makers…the newly elected ministers.

Sayed-Khaiyum says there will be more discussions in weeks to come.

“They will be talking to various ministers directly and developing a discussion around that. If a particular Ministry feels that they need a particular equipment to do the job better and whether the developing partners will be able to deliver it.”

There’s also a proposal for better coordination of community work done by NGOs… the idea is to make better use of aid money by getting NGOs to work with the government.

“A particular area may say we don’t have electricity, so an NGO may come and say we will give you solar panels. But if they are not in tune with what the government is doing then it could be a waste of money. Perhaps the government is planning to extend the electricity grid to that area within six months time so that solar panels won’t be used there.”

The five year development plan is expected to be ready by the first quarter of next year.