The Fiji Council of Social Services says decisions made in Suva are too often leaving the country’s most vulnerable people struggling on the ground, highlighting clear gaps between policy intent and lived reality.

FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga says one long-standing example is the exclusion of children of PALM scheme workers from government assistance due to rigid eligibility conditions.

She says during the 2023 back-to-school assistance rollout, FCOSS had to push for changes after guardians of PALM scheme workers’ children were unable to access support, despite clearly needing it.

Catanasiga says this reflects a broader imbalance where policies fail to consider the realities faced by low-income and informal workers.

She also raised serious concerns about climate relocation planning, noting that while Fiji is recognised internationally as a climate leader, communities on the frontline continue to wait for basic action.

Catanasiga says FCOSS recently assessed 10 of the most vulnerable communities from a list of about 70 earmarked for relocation, many of which had not been reassessed since around 2017.

She says in several cases, the solutions required are straightforward, including updated surveys and assessments to help communities plan where and how they can relocate.

Catanasiga acknowledges that relocation comes with high costs but says there is a flawed assumption that communities cannot move on their own, pointing to examples such as Momi and ongoing work in rural Bua where communities are already taking steps independently.

“So when there are decisions about, you know, when there are decisions made in Suva regarding these communities without consulting them, without talking to the stakeholders who work with these communities, you know, they are the ones who suffer. We get on our cars after our meetings and go to our homes here in Suva, but they struggle. They are the ones who struggle to find, you know, their balance after those kinds of decisions.”

She stresses that without genuine consultation and timely action, policy decisions will continue to widen inequality instead of protecting those most at risk.

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