Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk

Fiji expects a total value of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2019-2020 to be  F$154.4 million, reports FBC News.

According to FBC’s northern editor Elenoa Turagaiviu, this will consist of $13.8 million to be disbursed as cash grants and $140.6 million of aid-in-kind contributions.

According to the 2019-2020 Budget Supplement, the priority areas for the ODA support in 2019-2020 include education, health, agriculture, financial inclusion, poverty alleviation, social mitigation and renewable energy.

The Economic Services sector is expected to receive the majority of the cash grants at $6.5 million, of which $4.0 million will be provided by the European Union (EU) for the Sustainable Rural Livelihood programme, reports FBC News.

In addition, $1.5 million will be provided by the World Bank for the REDD+ project, while the Government of India has committed $1.0 million towards the Micro Small Business Grant initiative.

About $0.3 million will be provided by the UNDP for the Fiji Ridge to Reef Project, while a grant of $0.5 million is expected from the World Bank for the Sustainable Energy Financing Project.

UNICEF is expected to contribute $500,000 for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme.

Largest support
Fiji’s social services sector is expected to receive the largest support in aid-in-kind donations, worth around $58.5 million.

The majority of these funds will be provided by the Australian government for the Australia-Pacific Technical College, the Access to Quality Education Programme, the Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program and the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Programme.

This amounts to 41.6 percent of the total aid-in-kind that Fiji will receive.

In addition, the New Zealand government has allocated $7.8 million for various projects in the health, education and housing sectors.

Meanwhile, the Korea International Corporation Agency has committed $2.4 million to strengthen competencies in health sector responses to climate change.

A further $3.7 million will be provided for a medical volunteer scheme in the fields of dietetics, physiotherapy and biomedical services.

Elenoa Turagaiviu is FBC News northern editor.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz