RD/COMTD/AFT/18* 
17 November 2023  
 Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
(Aid for Trade)  Original:  English/anglais/inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY FIJI  
14 November 2023  
 
 
Comité du commerce et du développement (Aide pour le commerce)  
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY FIJI  
14 November 2023  
 
 
Comité de Comercio y Desarrollo (Ayuda para el Comercio)  
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY FIJI  
14 November 2023  
 
_______________  
  
 
* In Original language only/En langue originale seulement/En el idioma original solamente.  
1 Documents issued in the RD series are not official WTO documents. They usually appear in their 
language of submission and will not be translated systematically into  the working languages of the WTO. They 
are intended for use in WTO meeting rooms and are attributed an unofficial symbol for archiving purposes only.  
Les documents de la série RD ne sont pas des documents officiels de l 'OMC. Ils ne paraissent 
généralemen t que dans la langue dans laquelle ils ont été communiqués et ne seront pas systématiquement 
traduits dans les langues de travail de l'OMC. Ils sont destinés aux salles de réunion de l'OMC et une cote non 
officielle leur est attribuée à des fins d'archivag e. 
Los documentos de la serie RD no son documentos oficiales de la OMC. Por lo general se distribuyen en 
el idioma en que han sido presentados y no se traduce n sistemáticamente a los idiomas de trabajo de la 
Organización. Se distribuyen para su uso en las salas de reunión de la OMC y se les asigna una signatura no 
oficial a efectos de archivo únicamente.  RD/COMTD/AFT/18  
 
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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI TO THE UNITED NATIONS  OFFICE   
AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN GENEVA  
 
WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION  
Statement by Fiji 
 
CTD : 59TH SESSION ON A4T  
 
                                                         Agenda:  II. Mainstreaming  
(a) Update on Recent Trade Policy Reviews – Overview of Aid -For -Trade Analysis  
Tuesday , 14 November  2023  Room D  
Mr Chairman  
Distinguished Colleagues  
 
Fiji has the honour to present its 4th Trade Policy Review on the 19 and 21 July, 2023.  
The presentation would not have been possible without close collaboration established between my 
Capital, the Secretariat, and our Mission mo re so the effective collaboration and support of member 
states.  
 
Trade has long been the lifeblood of Fiji's economic growth and development, ingrained deeply within 
the fabric of our society. From the fertile fields of our farmers to the skilled hands of  our artisans, 
from the creativity of our entrepreneurs to the inviting warmth of our hospitality industry . Fiji's trade 
landscape blossoms  and is  driven by a collective determination to connect with the world and 
showcase the richness of our culture and p roducts. It is through trade that we expand horizons, 
open new opportunities, and foster innovation.  
 
Our dependence on international trade is not merely a choice. It is a necessity shaped by the unique 
geographic, demographic, and economic factors that ch aracterize Fiji. With a relatively small yet 
vibrant domestic market, we understand that our pathway to progress lies in our ability to embrace 
global connections, harnessing the potential of international trade and supply chains to fuel our 
economy and up lift the livelihoods of our people.  
 
This is why Fiji acknowledges the critical role of the WTO in facilitating a rules -based, transparent 
and equitable global trading system . 
 
Fiji’s TPR coincides with the convening of the Advanced Trade Policy Course , participants  managed 
to attend and witnessed first -hand how the Review was conducted.  
 
During the period under review, Fiji continued to implement strategic measures geared at 
strengthening its economy and consolidating its resilience in the face of the numerous 
climate -related , natural disasters  and other structural challenges. In recent years, Fiji's economic 
performance was undermined by various shocks. In  2016, Fiji was struck by a cyclone which led to 
production losses and destruction of physical inf rastructure. The COVID -19 pandemic and its 
restrictive measures also led to a significant GDP contraction in 2020 and 2021.  
 
Fiji's development framework is guided by its’  long and medium terms vision s where environment 
sustainable  economy is at the centre. It also considers women empowerment , youth empowerment  
and the promotion of micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs) as a favoured way to 
promote inclusive growth and broaden Fiji's economic base .  
 
Fiji ratified the Ag reement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) in 2017 and subsequently notified its related 
commitments to the WTO. In the following year in 2018, Fiji established its National Trade Facilitation 
Committee (NTFC) with the key objective of facilitating both domestic coordination and 
implementation of the provisions of the TFA . 
RD/COMTD/AFT/18  
 
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  Fiji as a result implemented several customs modernization reforms, including a digital and 
organizational transformation of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service to meet future challenges of 
increased traffic and trade, as well as to take advantage of digitalization opportunities. As at 
September 2022, Fiji had fulfilled 97.1% of its TFA implementation commitments. The two remaining 
commitments concern test procedures for goods declared for impor tation with definitive 
implementation date being 31 December 2023 and the establishment of a single window with the 
target date of 31 December 2025.  
We are most honoured to inform that as of October this year, the Fiji’s national single window 
blueprint h as been finalised and presented to Government for implementation, this has been possible  
with the support of the UNCTAD ASYCUDA initiative and the EU Pacific initiative.  
Various investment -related measures were implemented by Fiji with a view to attracti ng investments 
into sectors with high export potential. In particular, the adoption and implementation of the 
Investment Act in 2021 which eliminated certain registration and screening requirements and  
eliminates foreign investment restrictions.  
The serv ices sector remains the main pillar of Fiji's economy, as it contributes to two thirds of GDP 
and accounts for 51% of total exports. The sector is mainly made up of tourism , transport and 
storage, finance, and business services, which will remain central in our development aspirations.  
Finally, we would like to thank all Members and the Secretariat for your support, we received a total 
of 169 questions with almost 30 countries who took the floor, very instrumental in the whole process 
and we look forward to the implementation of certain recommendations in the report.  
 
__________