The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs has reiterated that the rights of the iTaukei are well protected under the 2013 Constitution.

Permanent Secretary Savenaca Kaunisela said this during the iTaukei Institutions Public Consultations at Nauluvatu Settlement in Samabula last Friday night.

This was after concerns were raised with the ministry that the iTaukei rights were not considered in the Constitution brought about by the Bainimarama Government.

“What we are trying to tell you tonight is that all iTaukei affairs are safeguarded under the Constitution starting from the Preamble to sections 28 to 30 of the Constitution,” Mr Kaunisela said.

“Secondly all acts governing the iTaukei rights are still intact and we have different acts and legislations covering the rights to land, fisheries, VKB and all these are protected. So there shouldn’t be any concern by the iTaukei people at this stage because all these legislations have provisions that safeguard our land, fisheries, resources and so forth.”

VKB corrections

Mr Kaunisela said the ministry would in the future through the computerisation of the Vola ni Kawa Bula print out copies and leave it at provincial offices.

This, he said would enable the public to sight it and assist them in identifying and correcting errors in the VKB records.

Currently the corrections of the VKB records are done by the VKB office during registration or through people coming forward to identify an error in the VKB records.

However, Mr Kaunisela said an error could only be caused by the first person who comes forward to register his or her child under the VKB.

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