Tabuya calls for provincial governments

Member of Parliament Lynda Tabuya has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the country’s governance structure by calling for the establishment of elected provincial governments with full legislative and fiscal authority.

Describing Fiji’s centralised government as outdated and ineffective for rural development, Ms Tabuya said: “This bold proposal can be the way to raise our people out of poverty.” 

Citing the chronic neglect of maritime provinces such as Lau and Kadavu, Ms Tabuya stressed that decades of uneven investments had left vast communities isolated, underdeveloped, and economically stranded.

Ms Tabuya’s proposal mirrors successful decentralisation models in countries such as China, where provincial empowerment has helped lift millions out of poverty.

She urged Government to conduct a feasibility study and include the reform in ongoing constitutional discussions.

Call to action

She said the cries of maritime communities echoed a powerful call to action, condemning the longstanding “cycle of rural neglect” afflicting provinces like Lau and Kadavu.

Returning from a recent visit to the islands, Ms Tabuya painted a bleak picture of broken supply chains, unsafe jetties, climate-vulnerable villages, and basic services still out of reach.

“Boats anchoring beyond the reef, tap water undrinkable, electricity cut every night, this is not just Lau’s story. It is the story of every maritime province in Fiji.”

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