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New Zealand Foreign Policy in the Pacific

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by Joseph Veramu (joseph.veramu@outlook.com) On the Air New Zealand plane back to Fiji from Wellington in February 2019 after I attended a week-long workshop on governance and the role of non-state agencies in the Pacific anti-corruption space, I reflected critically on the Pacific and the development aid that was poured into it. My participation had been funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZMFAT) and facilitated by Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ). This article reflects on how current progressive policies are proactively shaping Pacific policy narratives and space. New Zealand’s Progressive Policies On February 27th 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in her foreign policy address indicated a major shift in terms of increased support for Pacific nations. For Pacific islanders used to leaders attired in power suits and mouthing policy lines on increased GDP and trade, she was like a graceful dolphin moving symbiotically in its habi
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Procurement Processes in Fiji and Strategies for Curbing Corruption

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  Joseph Veramu CLCT: Integrity Fiji: Supported by Transparency International In the Financial Year from August 2020 to July 2021, a little more than $1.2 billion will be spent by the Fijian Government on various goods and services. This entails small items being purchased like stationeries to huge projects like the construction of roads and bridges. Like other states globally where so much money changes hands, there are always temptations to succumb to corrupt practices for personal gain. Fbc.news.com reported on 23/5/2020 that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) revealed that more than $1.6 million has been lost due to corruption in the public procurement sector. FICAC cases involving alleged procurement scams make up approximately 18 percent of all their cases. They have 17 cases pending before the court. FICAC is in the process of preparing a comprehensive training program for those involved in public procurement. FICAC notes that it is evident that corru
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The Pacific Blue Economy: Towards Economies of Scale

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(The author acknowledges the support of the Fiji National University and the Office of the Vice Chancellor in expediting this research.) One of the challenges of the Pacific is that 90 percent of the total Pacific population live in only 3 nations, namely, PNG, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. 6 nations have populations of less than 20,000 and 6 have populations that are less than 300,000. This raises the point that because of their smallness it makes sense for many Pacific nations to develop economies of scale and form an Economic union. 1 - Economic Developments in Pacific Island Countries Summary of key economic points and strategies The Pacific region benefited from economic growth in Asian nations like China, South Korea, Japan and India. It is important that while Pacific nations nurture trade ties to traditional partners like Australia and New Zealand that they also strengthen links with Asia. S&P Global Inc notes that economies in the Asia-Pacific region will dominate glob
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