Minister Sakiasi Ditoka

The Ministry for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is set to formulate a rural development policy through its partnership with the United Nations Development Programme Governance for resilience project.

This, according to Minister Sakiasi Ditoka.

Recognizing the Ministry’s vital role in coordinating rural development and disaster management at national and sub-national levels, Ditoka highlights the importance of the policy in guiding and setting the model for rural and maritime development in Fiji.

With the aim to strengthen the integrated rural development framework, Ditoka stresses the intention to thoroughly consult the policy at national and sub-national levels and notes that the outcomes of the National Economic Summit on thematic areas related to rural and outer island development will provide guidance on the policy’s broad principles.

In line with this, the Ministry is also working on a digitization plan to facilitate easier access to services and streamline processes for faster decision-making.

Ditoka further points out that while the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to rural development worldwide, it also highlighted the potential of new digital technologies in enabling rural populations to flourish.

He emphasizes that the rise of digital technologies presents an opportunity to bridge the rural-urban divide by providing access to digital finance, precision tools for improved crop yields, and remote job opportunities.