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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica has revealed that a significant portion of Fiji’s population is living in poverty.

He says more than half of the Fijian population is affected by economic hardship.

While citing the Asian Development Bank’s 2019-2020 report, Kamikamica says 258,053 Fijians were living below the poverty line at that time, while an additional 200,000 citizens were grappling with severe financial difficulties.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica

He made the remarks at the launch of Fiji’s National Development Plan 2025-2029 and Vision 2050.

The Deputy Prime Minister believes these figures have likely worsened in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We cannot rebuild our nation together and empower people through unity when more than 52% of our population is struggling to survive, I am committed to addressing these challenges in the short and medium term.”

Kamikamica also stresses the importance of collective effort.

“The coalition government must think outside the box and move away from the business-as-usual approach to address these issues, we must look at innovative ways to reduce the inequality gaps facing the nations.”

The Minister is also calling for creative and forward-thinking solutions to address the current economic realities.