The lack of timely registration of children’s births has become a significant national issue. Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga expressed his goal of achieving complete birth registration in the country within the next two years. Currently, the birth registration rate stands at 80 percent.
Turaga noted that many parents delay registering their children until they are ready to enroll in primary school. He shared his concerns during a talanoa session with the community in Dreketi on Wednesday and later at the Fiji Day celebrations in Labasa. He emphasized that the issue is particularly pronounced within the iTaukei community.
“The high rate of unregistered births among iTaukei children is alarming,” he stated. In response, the ministry is taking proactive measures to address the issue through community outreach programs.
Earlier this year, during his visits to Koro and Ovalau, Turaga’s team worked to bridge the gap in information between the government and local communities. He highlighted a case where children at a rural kindergarten had not been issued birth certificates.
Turaga explained that the lack of registration impacts government planning and educational resources. “If a six-year-old is unregistered, it means they are not counted in our country’s population.”
Additionally, Turaga urged the iTaukei community to ensure timely registration of deaths. He reiterated the importance of registering death certificates with the Fijian Affairs Board’s Vala ni Kawa Bula (VKB) system to remove the deceased from official records. This process is essential for enabling the next eligible person to inherit the privileges associated with the VKB.
“It is a persistent challenge for the iTaukei ministry,” he concluded.