New Zealand has provided a further 40 million dollars ($F58 million) in budgetary support to help the Fijian Government respond to the immediate socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The grant was earlier announced by Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, as part of her government's wider Covid-19 economic assistance to the Pacific.
New Zealand's High Commissioner to Fiji Charlotte Darlow presented the donation to Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama in Suva.
Ms Darlow said the budget support would focus on social protection.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Charlotte Darlow and Fiji's Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum seal the deal with a handshake. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt
Darlow said the support package "demonstrates Aotearoa New Zealand's commitment to support Fiji to respond to the immediate economic impacts of Covid-19 and support a sustainable long-term recovery."
"This fiscal support will enable the Fijian Government to continue to support the needs of vulnerable households and sustain livelihoods," she said.
Fiji's Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said his Government appreciated another vote of confidence in Fiji's financial management through NZ's direct budgetary support to help kick-start Fiji's ongoing recovery from the global health crisis.
"For that recovery to be meaningful and sustained over the long-term, we must work towards a normalisation of trade and travel within our region," he said.
"As the region's hub, Fiji is prepared to help lead the Pacific into the new post-pandemic normal and, as nations with world-leading rates of vaccination, we look forward to re-uniting Fijians and Kiwis under both countries' reopening plans as soon and safely as possible."
High Commissioner Darlow comes to Fiji from her previous role as the Divisional Manager for the Pacific Regional Division at New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In this role, she was New Zealand's Senior Official for Pacific regional processes, including the Pacific Islands Forum and the regional CROP (science and technical) agencies.