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The Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption has introduced key reforms to tackle long-standing investigation delays and improve public accountability.

While making submissions before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Acting Commissioner, Lavi Rokoika highlighted how procedural bottlenecks and a lack of internal timelines had contributed to significant backlogs, with some cases remaining inactive for years.

The change is part of a broader strategic plan, which includes the reduction of Key Performance Indicators from 133 to just 25, ensuring clearer accountability and more focused outcomes across five key operational units.

Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption Acting Commissioner, Lavi Rokoika says they have implemented a new five-day turnaround rule for all initial complaint assessments.

“One of the things that the commissioner has recently started doing, maybe six weeks now, less than about two months now, instead of saying, please proceed with the investigations, what I’m doing with the investigators is, please do a preliminary paper, a check, and come back to me within five days.And I must say that that has been really, really good.

Rokoika adds that the commission is also planning to establish an intelligence unit that will enable it to proactively identify corruption risks.

I believe that an intelligence unit is something that is required within the commission because at the moment we are just dealing with complaints. Somebody comes, complains, and then we start everything rolling. If we have an intelligence unit, we will be able to – I wouldn’t say foresee what’s going to happen, but we will gather information, and it will be more intelligence-driven, and I think we will it goes to the core of entities and corruption.

Public Accounts Committee member Jovesa Vocea welcomed the reforms.

I’d like to just thank the commissioner for this strategic plan and the turnaround time that she has come up with it. I remember whilst I was working as a civil servant, I was summoned to appear as a state witness for a case for about seven years, practically. I forgot everything about those cases. When I went to the courtroom, I didn’t know what I was supposed to say there. So it’s good that you’re coming up with a turnaround time.

With these structural reforms now underway, FICAC aims to improve responsiveness, ensure timely justice, and enhance overall public trust in its operations.

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