PM says Kava Bill 2026 can change after public consultation
The Prime Minister said the Bill was not yet law and would undergo further parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation.
Wednesday 02 September 2026 | 09:00
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has responded to concerns over the Kava Bill 2026, saying Fijians will have another opportunity to influence the proposed law before Parliament decides its final form.
His comments follow public criticism of the Bill’s registration requirements and penal provisions, including suggestions that the Coalition Government had lost touch with ordinary Fijians.
“A lot has been said about the registration and penal provisions of the Kava Bill 2026. Some have suggested that the Coalition Government has lost track of the ordinary Fijian. I want to clear the air,” the Prime Minister stated.
The Prime Minister said the Bill was not yet law and would undergo further parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation.
The Bill has been introduced in Parliament and will be referred by the Speaker to the relevant parliamentary committee.
The committee will conduct public consultations, hear submissions on the proposed legislation and can recommend changes before the Bill returns to Parliament.
Following the committee’s report, the Bill will proceed to its third reading, where it will be debated before Parliament decides whether to pass it.
“Fellow Fijians, that is the process — the democratic way of proposing a law,” the Prime Minister said. “The Bill is first and foremost the result of what the people who were consulted have proposed. The people will have another opportunity to comment on the Bill when the Committee of Parliament comes around to hear your views again on the Bill in its draft form.”
The Prime Minister urged people concerned about the Bill in its current form to make submissions to the parliamentary committee.
“After all, it is your Parliament. Democracy demands that we consult and only prescribe into law what the majority of the country prefers to be the law that governs this most important industry.”
The Office of the Prime Minister said the development of laws involved nationwide consultation, with public concerns considered when draft legislation was prepared.
