The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, is confident that his upcoming visit to Bangkok, Thailand, will enhance their understanding and help find solutions to the challenges surrounding birth and death registration in Fiji. The ministry has set an ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent birth registration by 2026.
“Fiji is leading compared to other Pacific Island nations,” Mr. Turaga stated. Currently, Fiji boasts an 80 percent birth registration rate, but there remains a segment of the population that the minister intends to reach out to.
“This means that 20 percent of the population in Fiji is unaccounted for,” he explained. He noted that recent visits to various areas in Vanua Levu revealed a common issue with non-registration of newborns and children. While there has been a slight increase in public awareness, it has not yet reached the entire targeted population.
Mr. Turaga emphasized the need for additional budgetary resources in the upcoming financial year to sustain the birth registration initiative. Labasa Town Council’s special administrator, Samuela Ligairi, urged advisory councilors and village leaders to aid the ministry in identifying individuals who have not registered their births within communities and villages.