FIJI

PSDI ACTIVITY UPDATE| MAY

OVERVIEW
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THE PACIFIC PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (PSDI) is a regional technical assistance facility
conanced by the Asian Development Bank and the governments of Australia and New Zealand.
Although PSDI activities in Fiji have been limited by political considerations, PSDI allocated $370,000 in
20072013 on activities to improve access to nance, undertake a private sector assessment, and promote
state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform.
With changes in the political climate likely, PSDI is preparing to undertake a comprehensive review of its
Fiji work program.
ACCESS TO FINANCE
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In 2012, PSDI published the results of microinsurance demand research in Fiji, in partnership with the Pacic
Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) and Australian Aid. The research contributed to the launch of the rst
community based microinsurance scheme in the Pacic, targeted at Indo-Fijian communities, in June 2012.
PSDI also contributed to a workshop for insurance regulators convened by the Pacic Islands Central Bank Working
Group and organized by PFIP in 2012 and 2013. The workshop brought together insurance supervisors from seven
Pacic island countries to highlight the integral role that accessible insurance services plays within wider nancial
inclusion eforts and to build requisite regulatory capacity. The workshop was held in Nadi, Fiji in June 2012 and
August 2013.
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Upon receipt of a request from the government, PSDI may support secured transactions reform in Fiji.
BUSINESS LAW REFORM
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PSDI supported electronic transactions laws in 2008 to facilitate the use of electronic payments.
Pacic Private Sector Development Initiative
Pacic Liaison and Coordination Of ce
Level 20, 45 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Tel +61 2 8270 9444Fax +61 2 8270 9445
Emailpsdi@adb.org Blog: www.adbpsdi.org
www.adb.org/plco/psdi
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
BUSINESS LAW REFORM continued)
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With changes in the political climate likely, PSDI is preparing to undertake a comprehensive review of its Fiji work
program.
STATEOWNED ENTERPRISE REFORM AND PUBLICPRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
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PSDI supported SOE reform activities in Fiji, including director training and community service obligations (CSO)
training. Moreover, Fiji participated in PSDIs SOE performance benchmarking study in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014.
PSDI provided peer review and ongoing support to an ADB stand-alone TA on SOE reform supporting SOE
restructuring, outsourcing of SOE activities, and capacity building within the monitoring agencies.
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ADB has received requests from the government to support new SOE restructuring and public-private partnership
initiatives, including policy, legal, institutional, and transactional support. These requests will be discussed with the
government in Q2 2014.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
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There have been ongoing discussions with the Secretariat of the Pacic Community on a pilot Mentoring for
Young Women, and PSDI will be seeking to develop this further in 2014. The pilot seeks to engage with young
women (under 30 years of age) through mentoring and skills training.
CROSSCUTTING
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PSDI undertook an in-depth analysis of the constraints to private sector development in Fiji, published as
Reinvigorating Private Sector Investment: A Private Sector Assessment for Fiji in 2013.
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A brief update of the Fiji private sector assessment will be prepared for the incoming government.