Fiji Council of Social Service Executive Director Vani Catanasiga is hoping the budget that will be announced today will address critical areas of concern such as drug abuse, transportation, and health infrastructure, to name a few.

Catanasiga says that the 2024–2025 national budget should address the growing drug epidemic in the country, which is affecting people of all ages.

She states that establishing safety and protection concerns is crucial, as is equipping law enforcers and ensuring proper support systems for those recovering from drug addiction.

Catanasiga adds that infrastructure improvements and access should also be reflected in the new fiscal year as an area of priority.

“And then the second issue is around access and infrastructure, so there are a lot of issues around roads, jetties, and bridges, and that’s really important when we have to ensure that children get to school and the sick get to hospitals. And in some of our communities, as we have heard yesterday when we sat for a round table on the elderly and care work during disasters and climate change, we heard that there are still a lot of gaps out there, particularly for the elderly who have been neglected.”

Catanasiga highlights that support programmes for the elderly to access services such as bus fare assistance, should perhaps cater for the physical impairments that the elders and persons with disabilities might have.

The FCOSS Executive Director says that a lot of work needs to be done, and policy needs to translate into actionable work as well.