[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]

The consultation on Fiji’s new National Development Plan is expected to wrap up by the end of this month.

Teams from the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development, and Statistics who have been travelling around the country since February 14th have held close to 250 meetings around the country.

Finance Ministry Head of Strategic Planning Office Kamal Gounder, says a number of issues have emanated from these meetings.

He says the new NDP aims to provide a roadmap for Fiji’s future, encompassing short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.

“What we are trying to do is in terms of this plan that will address the plan is for 3 years, 5 years with a 20 year vision. We would like to ensure the 3 year plan that is there tries to address the issues of the basic infrastructure, basic services so for us its getting the basics right .”

Gounder says they will analyze the collected data to shape the final version of the plan.

“Our teams will be coming back. We will be working on the draft NDP of where we left off on the draft when we met with the thematic working group and other key stakeholders in terms of drafting the NDP. We are aiming to get draft of the NDP based on the issues identified, based on the strategies that is needed to move the country forward and setting out the new vision for the country by at least April and then having the thematic working group discussions after that before we finalize the NDP and then submit to cabinet by June this year.”

Gounder says the completion of these consultations signifies Fiji’s commitment to inclusive development planning.