The European Union is looking to expand direct budget support to Fiji through the Ministry of Economy to fund a range of collaborative development programmes. This announcement followed a meeting between Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and an EU delegation.
The EU delegation consisted of the Head of Unit of Centralised Operations, Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf and Pacific, Mr. Jobst Von Kirchman, the Development Coordinator for the Pacific Region, Mr. Mathias Reusing, Head of Cooperation, Mr. Christopher Wagner, and the EU Ambassador to Fiji and the Pacific, Mr. Andrew Jacobs.
The meeting included discussions on cooperative strategies for developing Fiji’s agriculture sector – particularly how direct budget support from the EU would assist sugarcane and other farmers.
“By expanding development assistance through our Ministry of Economy, the European Union has demonstrated confidence in Government’s financial management and ability to drive effective and targeted development across a wide-range of sectors. We can now ensure that our joint development programmes with the EU have the most direct impact possible for our people – the men and women whose hard work forms the backbone of our growing economy,” said the Attorney-General.