Honorable Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji – His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau

Acting Secretary-General, Ms. Jeanette Emberson

Representatives from CSOs across Fiji

Staff of the Fijian Parliament

Colleagues

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning to you all,

I am delighted to join today’s briefing on Fiji’s 2021 – 2022 Annual Budget and say a few words about the importance of the occasion.

Fiji is currently going through an unprecedented moment in its history with the second wave of COVID-19. The government and the people of the Fiji have shown great resilience in these challenging times.

While parliament plays a great role in normal times, its relevance and needs are heightened in emergency situations like the one we are currently going through. Therefore, it’s encouraging to see that Fiji parliament has continued to operate in a hybrid manner despite insurmountable challenges in convening the sessions.

As governments and parliaments continue to operate in the region, UNDP has also supported them in these difficult times. The virtual convening of Floating Budget Offices and today’s briefing is one such example of the support.

The budget analysis is an important exercise in normal times and has become even more urgent because the pandemic has made it difficult for governments and parliaments to deal with different priorities due to the complexity of the crisis. While health and safety remain the top priority, they have to think about supporting those who lost their livelihoods, and continuing the education of children so that we can protect their present and future. And all of these have to be done when the economies are undergoing massive pressure.

Therefore, a budget analysis exercise and presentation are also critical for national economies. We are pleased that the Fiji parliament has chosen to continue to hold these sessions despite all the difficulties. In addition, it needs to be commended by engaging with civil society in this matter.

Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Speaker of Parliament, Madam Acting Secretary General and their team, for continuing this important exercise. I also want to recognize and thank the researchers from Solomon Islands, New Zealand and the Victorian Parliament who participated in the production of the budget briefs. Many thanks to WHO for their assistance in the provision of an expert to work alongside the researchers in the production of these briefs.

I would like to express my gratitude to our partners, the Government of Australia, Japan and New Zealand who are generously funding our support to the Parliament of Fiji. And last but not the least, special thanks to the European Union who is also contributing to the development of budget briefings for the Pacific parliaments and for hosting the briefings for CSOs in the Pacific on their respective national budgets.

On behalf of UNDP, we are also grateful to all the CSOs who have joined today’s briefing. Thank you for your time and interest.

I wish you all a great briefing today and please stay safe.

Thank you.