The Fiji Labour Party has commended the President of the Methodist Church, Reverend Ili Vunisuwai for yet another strong and visionary message, this time to the Great Council of Chiefs.
Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says Reverend Vunisuwai’s message to the GCC was that it must find the solution to address the issue of the iTaukei people living in poverty and the GCC should be the platform where this issue needs to be discussed.
Reverend Vunisuwai told the GCC that the purpose of the GCC should be to take people out of the bondage of poverty and to salvage them from any situation that hinders their development.
He says the GCC is not about fulfilling their own agenda adding it should be about the people under their care.
Chaudhry says the statistics about the large number of iTaukei living in poverty is both alarming and shocking.
He says this must be addressed urgently.
The former Prime Minister also says the GCC as an indigenous institution must give this urgent priority and come up with solutions to deal with the problem.
However, Chaudhry pointed out that it was incorrect to say that 75 percent of the iTaukei lived in poverty.
He says the latest Household and Income Survey revealed that iTaukei made up 75% of all the people living in poverty in Fiji.
Chaudhry adds this is not the same as saying that 75% of all iTaukei lived in poverty.
He says nonetheless, the statistic is alarming and has serious socio-economic repercussions for the nation.
Chaudhry says poverty is perhaps the most critical social problem facing our nation today and must be tackled on a holistic basis.
He adds Labour looks forward to some tangible policies from the GCC on this.
