The Fijian Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, is confident that his upcoming visit to Bangkok, Thailand, will enhance the understanding of birth and death registration challenges in Fiji. The ministry has set an objective to achieve 100 percent birth registration by the year 2026.
Mr. Turaga noted that Fiji is leading in birth registration efforts among Pacific Island nations, with an 80 percent registration rate. However, he emphasized the importance of addressing the remaining 20 percent of the population that remains unregistered.
“Our teams conducted visits in some areas of Vanua Levu and identified a significant issue with non-registration of births for newborns and children. We have seen a slight increase in awareness regarding this issue, but it is not sufficient to cover the entire targeted population,” he stated.
To support ongoing efforts, Mr. Turaga highlighted the necessity for additional budgetary resources in the next financial year. Samuela Ligairi, the special administrator for Labasa Town Council, urged advisory councillors and village heads to collaborate with the ministry in identifying individuals who have not registered their births within their communities and villages.