Budget transparency reform marks major win for civil society

A long campaign by civil society groups for greater budget openness in Fiji has secured a major breakthrough.

The responsibility to produce the Citizen Budget Guide is now formally embedded in the Financial Management Act.

For years, the task often fell on the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), despite limited resources.

The legal change shifts that burden to government, making budget transparency a permanent and institutional responsibility rather than a voluntary effort.

FCOSS executive director Vani Catanasiga said the reform reflects years of persistent advocacy by civil society organisations working to make national budgeting more accessible to ordinary citizens.

She said the change will allow FCOSS to focus on representing community voices in high-level decision-making spaces, including the Fiscal Review Committee and the National Disaster Risk Financing Steering Committee.

Ms Catanasiga noted that progress in financial governance is gradual but meaningful when engagement continues.

She said the Ministry of Finance is becoming increasingly open to public feedback, whether through formal submissions or direct communication.

Despite not receiving direct government operational funding since 2000, she said civil society advocacy has contributed to tangible improvements in communities, including better access to water, education and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the reform signals a broader shift in Fiji’s governance landscape, one where transparency is no longer driven by advocacy alone, but secured through law.

Feedback: rariqi.turner@fijisun.com.fj