Tabuya says ministry will manage without additional staff

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will have to pursue about $200 million in climate finance opportunities without additional staff after its request for more personnel was not approved in the 2026-2027 National Budget.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Lynda Tabuya said the ministry had been allocated about $10.5 million, but funding to recruit more staff and strengthen capacity was not approved.

"The request for more personnel is to strengthen environmental compliance and manage the increasing number of climate finance proposals," she said.

"Even though we didn't get approval for more funding for more staff, I know and trust our staff will be able to handle the workload."

Ms Tabuya said the ministry's responsibilities had grown as Fiji sought to secure more international climate finance.

She said the ministry would be managing about $200 million in climate finance opportunities and that timely project preparation was critical to securing funding.

"The faster we get our proposals out, the quicker turnaround time in terms of receiving climate finance," she said.

Ms Tabuya said the Budget reflected the Government's commitment to living within its means while prioritising health, education, water infrastructure, social services and rural development.

She said ministry staff continued to work extended hours, including weekends, to meet deadlines and secure funding for climate projects.