PACIFIC countries must stay connected to international finance institutions, World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde said this week. Bjerde also announced reforms to ensure that 30 per cent of labour costs on bank-funded infrastructure are local. “The World Bank Group is proud to support the people of the Pacific with solutions that address development challenges in the region, with jobs at the center—giving young people the chance to shape their own future,” Bjerde said. She made the remarks after a week-long visit to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia focused on delivering new approaches to job creation and economic resilience, and faster, more impactful development solutions.   “We see the effects of slowing growth, climate shocks, and global policy uncertainty, but Pacific nations are pioneering regional initiatives and investing in the foundations for jobs and inclusive growth,” Bjerde said. Under a new World Bank’s procurement framework, companies bidding on international civil works contracts—such as the construction and maintenance of transportation and energy infrastructure— must ensure that 30 percent of labor cost is local. This is to maximise benefits to local economies.   In Fiji, Bjerde attended the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting. The World Bank is supporting a regional correspondent banking project that is already active in eight nations with additional countries planning to join.