5-Year and 20-Year National Development Plan Independent power producers of both small- and largescale electricity production will be supported with fair pricing for sale of electricity. The ongoing regulatory reforms in the electricity sector with the partial divestment of FEA will promote private sector participation and raise efficiency and service delivery. 4 yy Provision of Affordable Housing All households will have access to affordable housing through the construction of new housing units. Ensuring that more land is made available for home construction will help increase the supply of housing. Government will encourage both public and private investments in the provision of housing units with strata titles. Investment in the establishment of “vertical villages” will be supported to accommodate a more diverse group of Fijians, that is, with differing incomes, cultural and occupational backgrounds and family sizes. This diversity will help improve the marketability of public housing units with strata titles. Investments will be undertaken to improve existing and new education facilities, purchase new equipment and materials, embrace digital learning and improve teacher performance. Teacher-to-student ratios will be improved and maintained, with more hiring and in-service teacher training to improve teaching quality. The Housing Authority and Public Rental Board will ensure that more land is developed for residential lots and more affordable and accessible housing is provided. Private sector investments in residential lot developments will be supported and incentivised. Government will continue with the free education initiative through per capita grants to schools. Initiatives such as the bus-fare and boat-fare subsidies, free textbooks and other financial assistance will continue to ensure that no one is deprived of quality education. Government will continue to support landowners to develop residential lots on iTaukei land. This will increase the availability of housing lots and at the same time ensure profit making opportunities for landowners. Early childhood education (ECE) will be improved, and ECE centres will be attached to all primary schools around Fiji. The curriculum for primary and secondary schools will be reviewed to support national integration and prepare Fijians for a transformed Fiji, to accommodate creative and active learning and to develop entrepreneurial skills, learning by doing, and effective peer learning. This holistic approach will incorporate enhanced parental engagement to support learning. Government financial support for new home construction and purchase of first homes will be maintained. Informal settlements will continue to be upgraded and leases granted to those on state land. Leases will also be granted to informal settlements on iTaukei land with the consent of landowners. Income-generating projects to support the creation of sustainable livelihoods will continue in economically depressed rural areas. Future public housing will be designed to cater for people with disabilities and special needs. Building standards will also be uplifted to withstand natural disasters. To assist those households whose homes are destroyed in natural disasters and by fire, government will set up a contingency fund and explore opportunities for disaster insurance schemes with bilateral development partners and multilateral financial institutions. This is critical given Fiji’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. yy Universal Access to Quality Education Universal access to education at all levels will be maintained with a focus on improving the quality of education. This will increase the supply of well-trained, world-class professionals who are equipped for job opportunities in the global market. Tertiary education will be further improved to focus on current and future needs, including the future demands of the labour market. Technical and vocational training for lifelong learning will continue with the establishment of more technical colleges. This will assist in the creation of technical skills needed by all sectors of the economy. The education system will be made more inclusive by establishing facilities to accommodate children with disabilities and special needs. yy High Quality Healthcare System In the next 20 years, medical services will be raised to international standards with a major focus on tertiary health care and overall medical service delivery. Investments will be made to reduce patient waiting time, improve hospital services, increase the number of beds, improve ambulance services and raise the doctor-topatient ratio to 1 doctor per 1,000 people. Government will continue with the free medicine scheme to assist lowincome households.