193,000 iTaukei in extreme poverty: PS

A government official has for the first time revealed the alarming number of iTaukei population living in extreme poverty.

Permanent Secretary for iTaukei Affairs Pita Tagicakirewa said that 193,000 lived in the category of extreme poverty.

Mr Tagicakirewa further clarified that the widely highlighted figure of 75 per cent referred to the percentage of iTaukei living in extreme poverty in Fiji, not the overall poverty rate.

The PS was speaking on the margins of the Resource Owners Forum at Harbour Point convention centre in Lami yesterday.

“In Fiji, 238,000 people are living in extreme poverty, and 75 per cent of that are iTaukei, not 75 per cent of the total poverty rate, The 75 per cent figure corresponds to 193,000 iTaukei,” Mr Tagicakirewa said.

“When we say extreme poverty, we refer to those who live on $1.25 a day, which is an international benchmark.”

Executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), Vani Catanasiga, said the lack of political will was a contributing factor.

Hence, the urgency to address the deficiencies in accountability and oversight for sub-national agencies mandated to serve iTaukei populations need to be addressed now than before.

“We’ve advocated for this based on numerous surveys conducted across various divisions from 2020 to 2023,” Ms Catanasiga said.

“FCOSS is convinced that if stakeholders do not fully understand the limitations placed on access and agency within the structures used to deliver development to vulnerable populations such as iTaukeis, Fiji will never achieve its vision for a prosperous economy.

“This doesn’t necessarily isolate the problem to the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.

“It could mean that this department may not be receiving the necessary interagency support to address the multifaceted challenges that keep iTaukeis in poverty at this point in our history.

“The issues could stem from policy limitations, territoriality, or lack of capacity.”

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