The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, is confident that his upcoming visit to Bangkok, Thailand, next year will enhance their understanding and help find solutions for birth and death registration challenges in Fiji. The ministry has set a goal to achieve 100 percent birth registration by the year 2026.
According to Minister Turaga, Fiji is leading other Pacific Island nations in terms of birth registration, with a current rate of 80 percent. However, he noted that the remaining 20 percent of the population is unaccounted for, which is the focus of their engagement efforts.
“Our teams have visited various areas in Vanua Levu and identified that non-registration of births among newborns and children is a common issue. While awareness is growing, it is still not reaching all targeted segments of the population,” he stated.
Turaga emphasized the need for additional budgetary support in the upcoming financial year to continue advancing the birth registration initiative. Samuela Ligairi, special administrator for Labasa Town Council, highlighted the importance of collaborating with advisory councilors and village leaders to help the ministry locate individuals who are not yet registered at the community and village levels.