A government official has revealed for the first time the alarming number of iTaukei population living in extreme poverty.
Permanent Secretary for iTaukei Affairs, Pita Tagicakirewa, stated that 193,000 iTaukei individuals are living in extreme poverty. He clarified that the often-mentioned figure of 75 percent refers to the percentage of iTaukei in Fiji experiencing extreme poverty, not the overall poverty rate.
Tagicakirewa made these remarks at the Resource Owners Forum held at Harbour Point convention centre in Lami.
“In Fiji, 238,000 people are living in extreme poverty, and 75 percent of those are iTaukei, which equates to 193,000 iTaukei,” Tagicakirewa explained. “Extreme poverty is defined as living on $1.25 a day, according to international benchmarks.”
Vani Catanasiga, the executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), attributed part of the issue to a lack of political will. She stressed the need to address deficiencies in accountability and oversight for sub-national agencies tasked with serving iTaukei populations.
“We have advocated for these changes based on numerous surveys conducted from 2020 to 2023,” Catanasiga said. “FCOSS believes that without a comprehensive understanding of the limitations on access and agency within the current structures, Fiji will not achieve its vision of a prosperous economy.”
“This issue is not isolated to the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs,” she continued. “The department may not be receiving necessary interagency support to tackle the complex challenges that contribute to iTaukei poverty. The issues could arise from policy limitations, territoriality, or lack of capacity.”