Kelera Ditaiki 
[Source: Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management/ Facebook]
Minister Sakiusa Ditoka says the review, supported by the UNDP through the Pacific Resilience Programme, is the first big step in the Ministry’s Change Management Plan.
The Minister says the Integrated Rural Development Framework guided rural development for 15 years.
However, its impact was limited by issues such as incomplete decentralised planning, weak coordination, misaligned priorities, and funding inefficiencies.
Ditoka says, the review proposes a new direction under the forthcoming National Rural Development Policy, centred on six reform principles: national collaboration, context-specific solutions, community-first development, evidence-based planning, risk-informed decision-making, and continuous institutional learning.
He says, policy development for the National Rural Development Policy is now underway, with nationwide consultations scheduled from next month through February.
According to the Minister, these reforms aim to modernise Fiji’s rural development architecture and ensure a more resilient, inclusive, and coherent system for the decade ahead.
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