Indonesia Donates US$7.72 Million to Improve Education and Combat COVID-19 in Fiji
Indonesia has donated Rp113.4 billion or US$7.72 million to Fiji for the period from 2019 to 2024 to improve the country’s education sector and handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati announced this news on her Instagram account @smindrawati, strengthening the close bilateral relations between Indonesia and Fiji. As one of Indonesia’s island partners in the Pacific Ocean, Fiji is also a prominent trade partner, with Indonesia’s exports to the country reaching US$40.48 million in 2022.
During the ADB Annual Meeting and ASEAN Chairmanship AFMGM+3 in South Korea, Indrawati met with Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, to discuss current global economic challenges, including inflation triggered by high energy and commodity prices. Indrawati also shared her experience in managing crises in Indonesia and the importance of multilateral coordination and cooperation to tackle global challenges, including energy and food crises.
As members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) along with 12 other countries in the Indo-Pacific region, Indonesia and Fiji aim to realize fair and equitable growth. Indrawati hopes that the meeting can strengthen trade activity and bilateral investment between Indonesia and Fiji, mutually supporting the two countries’ economic recovery.
Alongside this, Indonesia is intensifying economic cooperation with Fiji and collaborating on tourism development, which opens up opportunities for both countries. Additionally, Indonesia plans to send 12.9 tons of aid to Fiji for Cyclone Harold.
Overall, this donation is a symbol of Indonesia’s commitment to helping Fiji combat COVID-19 and improve its education sector, strengthening the relationship between the two countries while promoting equitable growth and economic recovery.
