A government official has, for the first time, revealed the alarming number of the iTaukei population living in extreme poverty.
Permanent Secretary for iTaukei Affairs Pita Tagicakirewa disclosed that 193,000 iTaukei are living in conditions of extreme poverty. He clarified that the figure of 75 percent, which has been widely highlighted, refers specifically to the percentage of iTaukei among those living in extreme poverty in Fiji, not the overall poverty rate.
Mr. Tagicakirewa made these remarks during the Resource Owners Forum at the Harbour Point Convention Centre in Lami yesterday.
“In Fiji, 238,000 people are living in extreme poverty, and 75 percent of them are iTaukei. The 75 percent figure corresponds to 193,000 iTaukei,” Mr. Tagicakirewa stated. “When we talk about extreme poverty, we refer to those who live on $1.25 a day, which is an international benchmark.”
Vani Catanasiga, Executive Director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), pointed out that a lack of political will is a contributing factor. She emphasized the urgency of addressing the deficiencies in accountability and oversight for sub-national agencies mandated to serve iTaukei populations.
“We’ve been advocating for this based on numerous surveys conducted across various divisions from 2020 to 2023,” Ms. Catanasiga said. “FCOSS is convinced that if stakeholders do not fully understand the limitations placed on access and agency within the structures used to deliver development to vulnerable populations such as iTaukei, Fiji will never achieve its vision for a prosperous economy.”
“This doesn’t necessarily isolate the problem to the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs,” she continued. “It could mean that this department may not be receiving the necessary interagency support to address the multifaceted challenges that keep iTaukei in poverty at this point in our history. The issues could stem from policy limitations, territoriality, or lack of capacity.”
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