The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, believes that his upcoming visit to Bangkok, Thailand, will be instrumental in enhancing their understanding and finding solutions to the challenges surrounding birth and death registration in Fiji. The ministry has set a goal of achieving 100 percent birth registration by the year 2026.
Mr. Turaga noted that Fiji is currently ahead of other Pacific Island nations, with approximately 80 percent of the population registered at birth. However, this means that 20 percent of the population remains unregistered, a gap the minister intends to address.
He stated, “Our teams visited some areas in Vanua Levu and observed the prevalent issue of non-registration among newborns and children. While there has been a slight increase in awareness, it is still insufficient to cover the targeted population.”
Additionally, Mr. Turaga emphasized the need for extra budgetary support in the next financial year to further advance the birth registration process. Labasa Town Council special administrator, Samuela Ligairi, has urged advisory councillors and village leaders to collaborate with the ministry in identifying individuals who have not been registered at birth in their communities.