Mosese Raqio 
Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga. [Photo: FILE]
The timing of Fiji’s national budget has repeatedly delayed disaster response and social assistance, according to Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga.
Catanasiga says the current financial calendar, set after Cyclone Winston in 2016, was designed to align with international partners like Australia and New Zealand.
But with cyclone season running from November to April, she warns communities often wait weeks or even years for assistance if budget cycles clash with emergencies.
“You can’t have the government closing books in December, you know. And if you remember 2016, I hadn’t worked in EFCOS then, but I remember being part of the response in Bua and going to communities where they were still waiting for government support.”
She points to examples from past cyclones where relief and housing assistance were delayed, leaving families in temporary shelters while government support trickled in.
Catanasiga says the issue is not a lack of funds, but how they are managed and dispersed.
She warns that reverting to a January–December budget will be “unreasonable” without major changes to accounting systems, software, and staff training.
“Full attention must be on getting funds out quickly to communities, not closing books for the next financial year.”
Catanasiga is calling for a system designed around people, not bureaucracy.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
