Fiji has entered a new partnership with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a United States foreign aid agency that supports countries committed to good governance and economic progress.
The partnership will focus on removing major barriers to economic growth and supporting long-term development across the country.
US Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu Marie Damour said Fiji’s selection to develop a full MCC compact is one of the most significant milestones of the year.
A team from the MCC is currently in Fiji to begin the early stages of designing the compact.
Ms Damour said this first mission is important because it allows the experts to examine the country’s biggest development challenges.
“This week, the MCC has met with ministries,” she said.
“They’ve met with the private sector.
“They’ve talked to development partners to understand what constraints economic growth in Fiji.”
She explained the compact would be built around areas identified as priorities by Fiji.
“This is the first visit by the MCC Fiji compact team, and they will assess which sectors might be best suited at developing a program that is both feasible and meaningful.”
The focus could include infrastructure, regulatory reform, skills development, or other sectors that remove barriers to growth and open more economic opportunities for communities.
“Fijian voices will be the primary drivers of the compact development, working in tandem with, not at the instruction of their partners.”
While the final budget has not been set, Ms Damour referred to the MCC’s $US29million ($F65m)threshold program in Kiribati as the scale and impact such initiatives could have. She said Fiji could expect a larger program because a full compact is broader than a threshold agreement. Ms Damour said the ultimate goal is to help Fiji achieve its own priorities through a partnership built on mutual respect and shared development goals.
