02296cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF020826 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781513537597 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept. Republic of Fiji : 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Fiji. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2020. 1 online resource (54 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This 2019 Article IV Consultation with the Republic of Fiji highlights that economic activity slowed sharply in 2019 due to lower government spending, tighter domestic financial conditions, weak sentiment, and the global deceleration. The slowdown followed several years of relatively strong growth, boosted by reconstruction spending after a major cyclone in 2016, which resulted in rising external and fiscal imbalances. Fiscal space is now at risk and external vulnerabilities remain significant. Fiji has large investment needs to strengthen resilience to natural disasters and climate change. A key priority should be to rebuild fiscal buffers in a growth-friendly way to create space to respond to future natural disasters and to ensure public debt sustainability. Fiscal consolidation should focus on reining in current spending given limited scope for further revenue mobilization and the need for capital spending to improve resilience to climate change. Improvements in the business environment and in governance are essential to raise potential growth and boost private investment, and to enhance productivity and competitiveness. Mode of access: Internet IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2020/080 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2020/080/002.2020.issue-080-en.xml IMF e-Library