MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Australia will provide $4 million
to help Fiji improve the effectiveness of its statistical gathering and
reporting.
The five-year Fiji-Australia Bureau of Statistics Institutional
Strengthening Project will assist the Fiji Bureau of Statistics to provide
more reliable and timely statistics to the Government, the private sector and
international agencies.
Such information is vital in meeting the challenges posed by trade
liberalisation and to help open up foreign investment. In particular, better
statistical reporting will assist Fiji in meeting its World Trade Organisation
obligations through improved assistance to importers and exporters.
More reliable statistical data will promote better governmental, social and
commercial decision-making at all levels and will contribute to improvements in
Fiji's overall economic and trade performance. It will assist the Government of
Fiji in developing effective trade and industry strategies, poverty and
unemployment policies and to provide key government services, particularly in
health and education.
Included in the project will be development of an integrated staff training
program, assistance in improving business planning and specific statistical
activities, such as the Consumer Price Index, the National Accounts and social
statistics. As a consequence, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics will have an
established program of sustainable development for both its staff and its
operations.
The new statistics project is part of a larger program of public sector
reform and support to improving trade and investment performance in Fiji.
Australia is already providing similar assistance in the areas of customs,
legislative drafting and mineral resources, all of which provide broad-based
support for the development of the private sector.
SUVA
Media contact: Innes Willox (Minister's
office) 06 277 7500 / 0411 414 695 Geoff Adlide (AusAID) 06 206 4967 Dennis
Rounds (Australian Embassy, Suva) 382 211