The Fijian government has implemented a series of strategic measures to build local capacity and reduce dependence on foreign labour, the Pacific island country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Biman Prasad said.

He made the remark in response to queries about the outflow of remittances by foreign workers in Fiji to their family members abroad, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.

Prasad said the outflow of remittances by foreign workers sending money to their families back home was a common and expected global trend but pointed out that Fiji faced unique challenges due to a substantial imbalance between the money flowing out and what the country received through remittances. To address this economic challenge, he said the government had implemented a series of strategic measures to build resilience and reduce dependency on foreign labour.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, a cornerstone of this approach was a renewed focus on education, training and workforce development.

One key initiative has been the reform of the Tertiary Education Loans Scheme, which resulted in the government writing off 650 million Fijian dollars (around $279 million) in student debt, relieving 53,000 families of financial stress.

In tandem with debt forgiveness, the government has increased its investment in scholarships, particularly in technical fields, the report said.

Scholarship recipients are required to serve the country after completing their studies, a move designed to ensure that public funds invested in education deliver tangible benefits for Fiji.

Prasad said the government's efforts to align education and training programs with labour market needs were also the way to go.

He said this strategy aims to build a skilled workforce capable of addressing critical gaps in sectors vital to Fiji's growth, Xinhua news agency reported.

This strategy aims to build a skilled workforce capable of addressing critical gaps in sectors vital to Fiji’s growth, he added.