SUVA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Fiji stressed on Wednesday the importance of a healthy and pristine environment for all Fijians.

Speaking in the parliament, Fiji's Minister of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy said that ensuring Fijians of all generations enjoying a healthy and pristine environment to sustain their livelihoods for stronger and prosperous communities remains the Department of Environment's key priority.

Reddy emphasized the importance of the Fijian government's initiative in prohibiting plastic bags in the coming months that would address numerous environment climate issues in the island nation.

"This 2019/2020 budget is weighed with the government's commitment to safeguarding our natural environment through an integrated expedient approach, ensuring that development does not come at the cost of our environment," he said.

"The move to ban the single use of plastic bags in seven months, increasing the duty on plastic bags, introduction of the Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy - these are all the right steps in securing our environment and mobilizing public finance for projects that aggrandize our resilience to climate change and furthering our environmental conservation."

The minister said that such policies reflected the Fijian government's vision to keep waterways, and their oceans free of plastics while also providing options to harness economic benefits from these resources.

"These transmuting environmental conservation initiatives keep us on track to achieve environmental commitments we have set in the five and 20 year National Development Plan (NDP) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP)," he said.

The Ministry of Waterways and Environment was allocated 10.1 million Fijian dollars (about 4.65 million U.S. dollars) for the Environmental Protection Initiative in the 2019/2020 National Budget.