The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) has urged a major constitutional rethink of Fiji’s anti-corruption architecture, proposing the replacement of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) with a constitutionally backed Accountability and Transparency Commission. The recommendation, presented to the Constitution Review Commission on Friday by FCOSS National Executive Committee member Vipin Shahil Maharaj, would shift FICAC’s investigative and prosecutorial roles to existing state institutions while creating a new body focused on prevention, awareness and oversight.
Under the model FCOSS set out, criminal investigations into corruption would be handled by the Fiji Police Force and prosecutions taken up by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The proposed Accountability and Transparency Commission would be tasked with anti-corruption activities such as public education, monitoring, learning and systemic prevention, and would be established and resourced as envisioned by provisions already in the 2013 Constitution. FCOSS described the recommendation as one of its “boldest,” aimed at building a more preventive, transparent and accountable approach to maladministration and leadership complaints.
FCOSS said the restructuring would strengthen separation of powers, increase institutional independence and reinforce checks and balances across Fiji’s governance system. “This restructuring would strengthen the overall anti-corruption ecosystem in Fiji, ensuring greater separation of powers, institutional independence, and meaningful access to justice for all citizens,” the organisation said in its submission. The group specifically called for the Accountability and Transparency Commission to be “fully resourced and made operational,” signalling a push for constitutional entrenchment rather than piecemeal legislative change.
The FCOSS proposal arrives amid a broader national debate over FICAC’s future. Earlier statements from the government, including remarks by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, indicated plans to abolish the commission and reassign its functions to existing agencies—an approach the FCOSS submission echoes in its recommendations. The civil society group’s position adds authoritative public interest backing to those proposals while reframing reform as a preventive and institutional-strengthening exercise rather than merely an administrative reshuffle.
The recommendation also comes against a backdrop of tensions around FICAC’s recent operations and internal reforms. Critics have raised concerns about the treatment of whistleblowers and the allocation of enforcement resources, while FICAC leadership has moved to tighten internal controls and launch reforms intended to speed investigations and restore public trust. FCOSS’s submission explicitly highlights citizens’ access to justice and the need for transparent, accountable processes in handling leadership and maladministration complaints.
As part of the Constitution Review Commission’s public consultations, FCOSS will continue to press for governance changes that reflect transparency and public trust. The commission will now consider the organisation’s proposal alongside submissions from other stakeholders; any move to amend constitutional provisions or dissolve FICAC would require careful legal drafting and political agreement before becoming law.