During the debate on the 2026-2027 National Budget, Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu questioned why civilian employees within the disciplined services were not included in the recent 3 percent salary increase awarded to other civil servants.
Seruiratu says these workers are “falling within the cracks” whenever salary adjustments were made for service personnel and civil servants.
He urged the Government to use available funds, including the $5 million salary adjustment allocation.
Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says the difference in pay structures is due to civilian staff within the Fiji Police Force and RFMF operating under different salary progression systems compared with the wider civil service.
He explained that while civil servants are generally limited to progression up to Step 4 within a salary band, civilian staff within the security institutions may progress further depending on their structure.
Immanuel says the Government will look into the matter in the next financial year, including through a possible job evaluation process to find a long-term solution.
However, Opposition MP Jone Usamate argued that the explanation did not fully address the concern, saying workers performing duties under the same civil service salary scale should also benefit when adjustments are made.
Seruiratu maintained that the affected employees are losing out because the 3 percent salary increase applied across the civil service and should have included them.
Meanwhile, the Budget debate also highlighted several allocations for the Ministry of Defence and Ministry for Policing.
Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua confirmed that the $2.5 million allocation for the new Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Joint Logistics Command Warehouse was the first phase of a project estimated to cost $41 million.
The facility, to be built at Bayview Heights in Suva, will centralise procurement and distribution for RFMF operations, joint operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response activities in the Central and Eastern divisions.
Tikoduadua says the $1.5 million allocated for the Maritime Surveillance Centre will cover operational expenses for the facility, which supports vessel monitoring, disaster monitoring, search and rescue planning, illegal fishing monitoring and border security efforts.
In the policing portfolio, Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua says the Government had a coordinated plan for the installation of CCTV cameras, including working with municipal councils and communities to connect monitoring systems.
However, Opposition MP Premila Kumar questioned whether Fiji had a national CCTV policy to address privacy concerns and ensure a coordinated approach.
Naivalurua says he has yet to see such a policy but acknowledges that it is an area that can be worked on.
Meanwhile, the 2026/2027 National Budget has been passed by Parliament.
A total of 35 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the budget, while 10 voted against it and 10 abstained.
