Hon Immanuel Meets Australian High Commissioner on Advancing Key Development Priorities

The Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development, Hon. Esrom Immanuel, today received a courtesy visit from His Excellency Mr. Peter Roberts, Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, and senior officials of the Australian High Commission, to discuss ongoing and future areas of cooperation between Fiji and Australia.

Discussions focused on critical national priorities, including the renovation of CWM Hospital, public financial management (PFM) reforms, customs modernisation, business development, and economic diversification. The meeting also explored new areas of Australian support aligned with Fiji’s reform agenda and long-term development goals.

H.E. Roberts noted that staffing at the Australian High Commission in Fiji has increased by approximately 80 percent over the past two years. He highlighted this as a reflection of Australia’s strengthened engagement with Fiji and the wider Pacific region, and its commitment to supporting Fiji’s development priorities.

Hon. Immanuel conveyed the Government of Fiji’s appreciation to the Australian Government for its longstanding and consistent support, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget support facility, contributions to the health and education sectors, and most recently, support towards Fiji’s HIV response efforts.

Both sides agreed that further detailed briefings and technical discussions would be held in the coming weeks to ensure Australian assistance is closely aligned with Fiji’s reform priorities and national development.