The lack of timely birth registration for children is becoming a significant national issue. The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, expressed his goal to achieve 100% birth registration within the next two years, noting that the current registration rate stands at 80%.
Mr. Turaga identified a trend where parents delay registering their children during infancy, often only seeking registration when enrollment in primary school is imminent. He shared these concerns during a talanoa session with villagers in Dreketi. The minister was also present at the Fiji Day celebrations in Labasa, where he highlighted that this issue is particularly pronounced within the iTaukei community.
He mentioned that a worrying percentage of iTaukei births, especially among young children, are unregistered, prompting the ministry to undertake proactive measures to address this challenge by enhancing community outreach efforts.
Additionally, during earlier visits to Koro and Ovalau, Mr. Turaga’s team worked to bridge the information gap between the government and local communities. He noted instances where children in rural kindergartens were attending without birth certificates, which adversely impacts policy planning and educational resource allocations.
“If a six-year-old is not registered, it simply means he or she is not accounted for in this country,” he emphasized.
In addressing another concern, Mr. Turaga urged the iTaukei community to ensure timely registration of death certificates. He explained that these records must be documented with the Fijian Affairs Board’s Vala ni Kawa Bula (VKB) to officially remove deceased individuals from the list, allowing their entitlements to be passed on to eligible successors. He reiterated that failure to register deaths promptly presents ongoing challenges for the iTaukei ministry.