Praneeta Prakash 
[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad has reiterated the need for more concessional resources and grants to support Fiji’s ongoing economic recovery efforts.
He highlighted this while meeting with the Asian Development Bank President, Masatsugu Asakawa, during the Annual Meeting in South Korea.
During the meeting, Prasad expressed his gratitude to ADB for its steadfast support during the pandemic to mitigate the health and economic catastrophe induced by the pandemic, as Fiji has received close to $900 million in funding support from ADB since the onset of the pandemic.
They also discussed the upcoming new Fiji ADB Country Partnership Strategy for 2024–2028.
Fiji highlighted the importance of aligning the CPS with the country’s development priorities and urged ADB to continue to work closely with Fiji to ensure that the new CPS responds to the country’s evolving needs.
[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]
The meeting also addressed the urgent need for climate change support, specifically climate adaptation, for Pacific small island states like Fiji.
Prasad highlighted the importance of climate change adaptation and resilience-building measures, including infrastructure investments, to reduce the vulnerability of Pacific island nations to the impacts of climate change.
[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]
Discussions also focused on ADB’s support for investments in the water sector, road infrastructure and bridge replacement, Suva port relocation, the blue economy, and private sector financing.
Prasad reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to working closely with ADB to strengthen its strategic and development partnership and invited the President to visit Fiji later this year.
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