Fiji’s government is working on a ‘Diaspora Policy’ focused on ensuring Fijians around the globe play a key role in the country’s economic development.
The country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Sakiasi Ditoka has just been to New Zealand, where he met with investors and the Fijian business diaspora.
Ditoka told RNZ Pacific the increasing interest from the diaspora across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Europe is positive for the island nation.
He said every effort is being made to ensure that interests are safeguarded and served for the mutual benefit of Fiji and her diaspora investors.
He also confirmed a diaspora policy is being finalised and will be sent to Cabinet for approval soon.
“It’s (diaspora policy) vital. It’s very important for Fiji that we engage with our diaspora. In fact, as we speak, the diaspora policy is being finalised. It’s going through the the final processes of being passed through Cabinet,” he told RNZ Pacific in Auckland on Saturday.
The policy is going through the development sub-committee level, which means that senior officials are now having a look at it before it is escalated to Cabinet for sign-off.
He said the policy is wide-ranging, but the central theme is “the diaspora community is very, very important to Fiji”.
Ditoka said the levels of investment members of the Fijian diaspora are putting back into the country keep increasing and help propel its economy. It includes overseas remittances, with an ever-increasing number of Fijians moving overseas for work, including sports contracts, the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in New Zealand and the PALM Scheme in Australia.
The Fijian diaspora serves as the second-largest foreign exchange earner for Fiji’s economy. Personal remittances sent by the diaspora officially surpassed the $1 billion threshold between January to September 2025.
