The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, is confident that his upcoming visit to Bangkok, Thailand, next year will enhance their understanding and contribute to finding solutions for birth and death registration challenges in Fiji. The goal of the ministry is to achieve 100 percent birth registration by 2026.
Turaga noted that Fiji is leading other Pacific Island nations in this regard, with an 80 percent birth registration rate. However, he emphasized that the remaining 20 percent of the population remains unregistered and requires engagement.
“Our teams visited areas in Vanua Levu and identified a common issue of non-birth registration among newborns and children. While there has been a slight increase in awareness, it still falls short of reaching the entire target population,” he stated.
To further the birth registration process, Turaga mentioned the need for additional budgetary support in the next financial year. Labasa Town Council special administrator Samuela Ligairi urged advisory councilors and village chiefs to assist the ministry in identifying individuals within their communities who lack birth registration.