Parliament to review policies and laws on legal framework

The Government is prioritizing the review of the legal framework for elections to facilitate the right to vote for all citizens, including persons with a disability, and ensure compliance without treaty obligations.

While opening the 2025 Parliament session, President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu said the law, justice, governance, and human rights sector partnership framework will identify and develop a comprehensive approach for support to be offered to all Fiji citizens.

He says the Ministry of Justice will undertake a review of the Bankruptcy Act and the Births and Deaths and Marriages Registration Act.

Ratu Naiqama says to ensure a more efficient and people-oriented public service, the Government is committed to reshaping the public service landscape through the public sector and regional leadership and modernization to meet the needs and aspirations of all citizens.

He adds as part of the reform efforts, a review of the Public Service Act will be conducted, and will focus on strengthening the independence and accountability of permanent executives, as well as promoting merit-based recruitment and performance measures.

The President says the National Development Plan will provide a sustainable path for the implementation of policies, both in the short and long term.

He says we must together strengthen our governance, institutions, and decision-making machinery to ensure that we can easily respond to changes rather than continue with business as usual.

Ratu Naiqama says our policy response must be robust and timely to ensure better sequencing and harmonization of our collective efforts.

He says they are taking proactive measures to successfully implement major development-funded projects through foreign development assistance.

He further says this will ensure a positive inflow of funding through effective investment rather than the negative gearing ratio that we are currently experiencing.

The President says the Government's legislative agenda is quite ambitious but necessary to drive economic growth, enhance national security, and encourage the critical review of our constitutional framework to reflect the evolving aspirations of our people.

He says this review will ensure that our supreme law aligns with the principles of inclusivity, fairness, and justice.

Ratu Naiqama adds the Constitution must reflect the aspirations of its people and another major priority this year is to strengthen our integrity and accountability.

He says the framework for the conduct of public officeholders has been pending for a few decades and the new framework is central to building confidence in our public institutions, statutory bodies, and most importantly, public officeholders.

He says the Government also proposes to deliver reforms to ensure the health and future of our children are not destroyed through access to addictive volatile substances.

The President adds our past has been marked by economic vulnerabilities, political instability, and social divisions, however, we must transform these challenges into opportunities.

He highlighted that our legislative agenda will strengthen social protection programs by ensuring that vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and low-income families, have access to essential services.