Josefa Sigavolavola 
Climate Change Minister Lynda Tabuya. [Photo: FILE]
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is seeking extra funding in the upcoming national budget. The aim is to strengthen environmental compliance as development activity increases across Fiji.
Climate Change Minister Lynda Tabuya said the focus was on boosting staffing and training for compliance officers. She said more projects are being approved, which is increasing pressure on monitoring systems.
One of the key issues submitted in the budget is the need to strengthen environmental compliance, she said. This includes upskilling staff and hiring additional officers.
She said the growing number of developments is driving the need for stronger oversight. She pointed to the proposed waste-to-energy project as an example.
“We saw the proposed waste-to-energy project that we dealt with last month. So the need to have more staff to ensure environmental compliance is very important.”
Tabuya said the funding would improve monitoring and enforcement. It will also ensure developers follow environmental rules.
The Ministry’s budget submission also includes funding for a small environmental laboratory. It also seeks support to implement the remaining parts of the Climate Change Act. Upgrades to waste management infrastructure are also included.
