Prime Minister, Hon. Aisake Eke, emphasized the government’s commitment to developing a sustainable economy, focusing on targeted use of foreign aid rather than spreading it too thin.
At a press conference last Friday, Eke outlined the government’s approach. “We want to focus on foreign aid received instead of spreading it thin,” he said, adding that the focus would be on one or two major projects.
One such project could involve the purchase of five long-line fishing boats for the fisheries sector to help drive down fish prices, as opposed to distributing aid across many ministry projects.
The Prime Minister also discussed plans to approach the Asian Development Bank for soft loans at low interest to assist local businesses, noting that local banks charge high interest on its loans. “This is part of our strategy for economic recovery,” he said.
The briefing, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi and Minister for Agriculture Hon. Dr. Siosiua Halavatau, follows a series of reports from ministers reviewing their respective portfolios since taking office two weeks ago.
