Fiji

Small island developing states (SIDS) have been acutely affected by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper takes a broader perspective to explore how the revenue effects of this crisis in SIDS are connected to their unique financing and development challenges. It also suggests how SIDS governments and development co-operation providers can better partner together to strengthen mobilisation of domestic revenues – in particular tax revenues – in the recovery post-COVID-19.

This annual publication compiles comparable tax revenue statistics for Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tokelau, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. It also provides information on non-tax revenues for selected economies. Based on the OECD Global Revenue Statistics database, the publication applies the OECD methodology to Asian and Pacific economies to enable comparison of tax levels and tax structures on a consistent basis, both among the economies of the region and with other economies worldwide. This edition includes a special feature on strengthening tax revenues in developing Asia. The publication is jointly produced by the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration and the OECD Development Centre, in co-operation with the Asian Development Bank, the Pacific Island Tax Administrators Association and the Pacific Community.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected Fiji, hitting at backbone economic sectors, such as international tourism and export fisheries. It has also brought to the fore the need to embark on a more sustainable model of development. This report examines Fiji’s economic and sustainability trends, as well as the governance and financing of its ocean economy before and during the COVID-19 crisis. It provides an initial mapping of promising initiatives and funding instruments that can be developed and scaled up to foster a sustainable blue recovery, focusing on four main areas: sustainable fisheries, sustainable tourism, green shipping and marine conservation.

Revenue Statistics in Asia and the Pacific is jointly produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (CTP) and the OECD Development Centre (DEV) with the co-operation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Pacific Island Tax Administrators Association (PITAA), and the Pacific Community (SPC) and financial support from the governments of Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This edition includes a special feature on the emerging challenges for the Asia-Pacific region in the COVID-19 era and ways to address them. It compiles comparable tax revenue statistics for Australia, Bhutan, People’s Republic of China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tokelau, Vanuatu and Viet Nam ; and comparable non tax revenue statistics for Bhutan, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Thailand, Tokelau, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. The model is the OECD Revenue Statistics database which is a fundamental reference, backed by a well established methodology, for OECD member countries. Extending the OECD methodology to Asian and Pacific economies enables comparisons about tax levels and tax structures on a consistent basis, both among Asian and Pacific economies and with OECD, Latin American and Caribbean and African averages.

The interconnected nature of marine resources and the economic sectors they support means that more holistic approaches are needed to ensure policy coherence, identify and manage trade-offs between the sectors, and take advantage of synergies where policies can deliver benefits to multiple sectors. This chapter examines ocean policy governance in Fiji, including efforts to develop a National Ocean Policy for a more strategic, co‑ordinated and integrated approach. It looks specifically at policy instruments in marine protection, sustainable fisheries management, maritime transport, living and non-living marine resources, and tourism.

This report was developed as part of the Blue Recovery Hub of Fiji, a collaboration between the OECD, Friends of Ocean Action, and the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP), with the generous support of the United Kingdom Government's Blue Planet Fund.

The 2020 economic contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic was the largest in Fiji’s modern history. The loss of tourism revenue had negative spillover effects affecting Fiji’s overall economy. Moreover, these large fiscal impacts from the pandemic exacerbate Fiji’s pre-existing financing challenges. This chapter examines the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the pandemic on the ocean economy of Fiji, including job losses, the migration of Fijians back to their villages and heightened level of remittances. It also analyses international assistance to counter the pandemic, including regional partnerships and the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

This chapter examines the composition and trends of Fiji’s ocean economy prior to the COVID-19 crisis in the context of its overall economic development, including the importance of tourism, inshore and offshore fisheries, and maritime transport and ports. The chapter identifies key challenges from climate change and other increasing pressures on ocean and coastal resources, which threaten the benefits that can be drawn by ocean economy sectors.

The bulk of Fiji’s economic activity depends on the ocean. Tourism, fisheries and maritime transportation are Fiji’s largest ocean economy sectors. Tourism alone accounted for 38.9% of Fiji’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 35.5% of employment prior to COVID-19. More than 90% of tourist attractions are maritime- or coastal-based. The tourism sector supports numerous other industries, such as transport and agriculture, although linkages could be further strengthened. Moreover, as an archipelago, Fiji relies heavily on maritime transportation, ports and other coastal infrastructureto trade goods and to ensure inter-island mobility of Fijians and tourists. Other critical sectors of Fiji’s ocean economy are fisheries and aquaculture. The fisheries sector is Fiji’s third largest export earner and is responsible for the livelihoods of a significant share of Fiji’s population.

As a small island developing state, Fiji faces specific challenges both in mobilising public finance and attracting private investments. This chapter provides a short comparative analysis of Fiji’s government revenues. It discusses the innovative financing mechanisms, such as green bonds, blue bonds, and environmental taxes, which Fiji is using to mobilise more public and private finance. The chapter also provides original estimates of Official Development Assistance directed in support of the ocean economy of Fiji, detailing its scope, nature and destinations.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected key ocean sectors of small island developing states (SIDS) like Fiji. As countries implement economic recovery packages in response to the pandemic, they have an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild their economies in a more sustainable and equitable manner. The international community can play a key role to “build forward better” through recovery strategies that are greener and more inclusive. However, international support must be co‑ordinated to avoid duplication and ineffective use of scarce resources. This chapter introduces the Blue Recovery Hubs as a policy mechanism to help align international assistance for a resilient and inclusive recovery in SIDS.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected Fiji, hitting at the heart of its backbone economic sectors, such as international tourism and export fisheries. However, the COVID-19 crisis has also brought to the fore the need to embark on a more sustainable model of development and is offering an opportunity to shift to a new, more sustainable development trajectory. This chapter provides an initial mapping of promising initiatives and actions that could be further explored, developed and scaled up, as part of a sustainable blue recovery. These initiatives focus on four key areas that show the potential to generate benefits across the broader economy and to drive a sustainable recovery: sustainable fisheries, sustainable tourism, green shipping and marine conservation. It also highlights examples of innovative financing mechanisms that could advance these ambitions.