As the Fiji government pursues its bid to arrange a standby loan agreement, a high powered delegation led by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama met with the International Monetary Fund’s Director for Asia and the Pacific in Korea yesterday.

At the meeting, the Fiji delegation discussed progress made by Fiji since the last IMF Mission in April this year and updated the Director Anoop Singh on the 2010 revised budget; the recent decisions made by the cabinet to progress the continued economic development in Fiji and discussed in detail various Monetary and Fiscal policy matters.

A government statement said the response by Singh was positive and he was very supportive of the Fiji Government's continued efforts to improve on the economic front.

It said Singh was impressed with the initiative and commitment shown in implementing the necessary reforms to drive these improvements in the long run.

Singh also commended Fiji's commitments, like other developed nations, in taking drastic measures to assist and sustain the Nation's economic growth following the recent global financial crisis.

Commodore Bainimarama said that he was looking forward to the IMF visiting Fiji in August to continue consultations.

Commodore Bainimarama is attending a high level conference in Daejeon Korea, jointly organized by the Republic of Korea and the International Monetary Fund and is accompanied by the Attorney General Aiyaz Khayum, the Governor Reserve Bank Sada Reddy, Permanent Secretary for Finance John Prasad  and Fiji's Ambassador to Japan Isikeli Mataitoga.

MINFO Statement