Riya Bhagwan 
Cooperatives continue to play a vital role in Pacific economies, yet their contributions are often not fully reflected in national policies and official statistics.
This concern has been raised by Lee Everts, Deputy Head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific.
Everts says that despite their strong presence in communities and their contribution to economic activity, cooperatives are frequently overlooked in development frameworks and national data systems.
She stresses that stronger policies are needed to ensure cooperatives are properly integrated into mainstream economic planning and development strategies.
Everts adds that as markets continue to evolve, policies and legislation must also adapt to reflect these changes.
“We have to institutionalize and anchor cooperatives in mainstream economic policy. We have to see them in development policies, whether it’s SMMP, whether it’s your big corporate policies, whether it’s your national statistics, because even in the national statistics, a lot of times it’s not captured properly.”
Minister for Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel reaffirms that the coalition government is working to revitalize the cooperative movement.
Immanuel notes that when the current government assumed office, the sector required significant support, and efforts are now underway to strengthen and rebuild it.
The number of cooperatives in Fiji has increased by 94 percent over the past four decades.
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