Sainimili Magimagi 
The Fiji Police Force will operate with a reduced budget in the 2026-2027 financial year, despite earlier calls for increased funding to address growing security challenges.
The force has been allocated $226 million, a 5.95 percent decrease from the $240.3 million received in the current financial year.
The previous allocation included a $40 million recruitment initiative to expand the force by 1,000 officers through a two-phase programme.
The first phase, funded with $19.5 million, supported the recruitment of 538 new officers and the filling of 300 vacant positions.
Minister for Finance Professor Esrom Immanuel says the second phase, which includes the recruitment of another 538 officers, will proceed as previously committed.
However, he says the immediate focus will be on filling around 400 existing vacancies to strengthen police manpower.
The Minister says officers recruited during the current financial year will provide additional capacity to maintain law and order.
Earlier this year, the Fiji Police Force had requested a larger allocation to respond to an evolving criminal landscape, upgrade ageing infrastructure, and meet increasing operational demands.
