Publication: Republic of Fiji Systematic Country Diagnostic
Date
2017-06-12
ISSN
Published
2017-06-12
Author(s)
World Bank Group
Abstract
Fiji is a small island nation in the
South Pacific Ocean with population of 870,000.Nevertheless,
Fiji has one of the most sophisticated economies among the
Pacific Islands. The economy is the second largest in the
Pacific after Papua New Guinea, and it is the most
industrially advanced, with substantial services and
manufacturing sectors.Fiji has not, however, realized its
full economic potential.The 2014 election was a turning
point for Fiji in many respects. First, the current
government was elected with an outright majority and strong
cross-ethnic support. Second, the election saw a genuine
political debate, with citizens offered a choice between
different visions for the future (Frankel 2014). Third, the
election, which was declared free and fair by international
observers, paved the way for Fiji’s re-engagement with
development partners and created a better environment for
private investment.Fiji can build on its relatively strong
institutions to deliver faster growth and shared
prosperity.The government plans to build on its achievements
in poverty reduction and shared prosperity. The national
development plan is to double real per capita income by
2035.The World Bank’s report Pacific Possible sets out
several ideas for accelerating growth in Fiji by 2040. Areas
of opportunities include tourism, migration, fisheries, deep
sea mining, and the knowledge economy.This Strategic Country
Diagnostic (SCD) identifies three pathways, as well as
cross-cutting issues. (i) Stronger growth; (ii) Better
access to services by all; (iii) Building resilience. These
three pathways should be supported by cross-cutting efforts
to improve governance, that is, to improve policy and the
institutional capacity of the public sector to accelerate
progress toward the twin goals.However, it continues to face
a number of cross-cutting governance challenges.This report
has identified many constraints and many possible policy
solutions. But not everything can be done at once:
priorities need to be selected. In selecting the priorities,
this SCD uses three main criteria. The first is whether a
policy is a precondition for making progress in pursuing
others. The second is whether a policy is expected to have
positive spillovers across different domains (e.g., growth,
equity, resilience). The third is whether a policy is
feasible, that is, it can be implemented in the medium term
given cost, capacity, and political feasibility for action.
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2017. Republic of Fiji Systematic Country Diagnostic; Republic of Fiji Systematic Country Diagnostic. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28541 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”