Minister Urges Parents to Register their Children

The failure of parents to promptly register their children is a cause for national concern.

Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, said he wanted to achieve a 100 per cent birth registration in the next two years.

"We are at 80 per cent with birth registrations across the country," Mr Turaga said.

He said parents failed to register their children during their early years and avoided this service until the need arises prior to their enrolling for primary school.

He disclosed the concern during a talanoa session with Dreketi villages on Wednesday.

The minister was present at the Fiji Day celebrations in Labasa on Thursday. Mr Turaga said this non-birth registration issue was a concern among the iTaukei community.

"High percentage of iTaukei births not registered particularly for the young is a grave concern."

He said this led to the ministry taking proactive steps to reduce the number by ensuring that their teams conducted community outreach.

Short falls

During the minister's trip to Koro and Ovalau early this year, his team addressed the short falls in information gaps between Government and communities.

He said that a kindergarten in a rural village had children attending with no birth certificates.

Mr Turaga said proper planning of policies, educational allotments were affected when children were not registered and did not have a birth certificate.

"If a six-year-old is not registered, it simply means he or she is not accounted for in this country."

Children during the Fiji Day celebration at Subrail Park in Labasa on October 10, 2024. Photo: Shratika Naidu

Register deaths

Mr Turaga said that all iTaukei need to make sure to register the deaths of their loved ones on time.

He reiterated that death certificates had to be registered into the Fijian Affairs Board' Vala ni Kawa Bula (VKB)' for the deceased to be dismissed from the list.

This ensures that the next capable person assumes the privileges of the VKB.

"For instance the head of a yavusa registration, you can't register another new head until the deceased's name is removed from that entitlement," he said.

"It is an ongoing issue faced by the iTaukei ministry in this country."

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