Rewa paramount chief Ro Teimumu Kepa pointed out the need to address the alarming statistics with figures from the iTaukei Affairs Ministry revealing that 193,000 iTaukei’s or 75 per cent of the national total are living in extreme poverty.

The high poverty rate among Fiji’s iTaukei population demands urgent attention, as Head of the Burebasaga Confederacy and Rewa paramount chief Ro Teimumu Kepa calls for targeted economic initiatives to assist vulnerable communities.

She pointed out the need to address the alarming statistics with figures from the iTaukei Affairs Ministry revealing that 193,000 iTaukei’s or 75 per cent of the national total are living in extreme poverty.

This stark reality, Ro Teimumu said outlines the pressing need for decisive action to reduce socioeconomic inequities.

“If the government is not going to provide some focus, activities, economic activities on them, then who’s going to help these people? They need a lot of assistance. And that is where rightly the government is focusing some of its attention on it okay, in terms of the figures that we are hearing about, the 75% which we do not want to remain at 75%. We want it to be lowered to say 50% less than that.”

Ro Teimumu stated that without focused government interventions, these communities risk being left behind.

She advocated for sustained economic activities that could significantly lower poverty rates, suggesting a goal of reducing iTaukei poverty to 50 per cent or less.

Achieving this would lessen reliance on government assistance over time and provide these communities with greater opportunities for self-reliance.

Political Sociologist Professor Steven Ratuva reinforced the urgency of addressing the structural inequities underlying iTaukei poverty.

He argued that addressing equity, rather than relying on communal entitlements is essential for creating lasting solutions.

Past efforts based on communal entitlement often fell short, leading to inefficiencies and political tensions.

“I’ve always believed that to address the issue of Etoke, we have to address the issue of equity, rather than making it political by, you know, moving into the realm of communal entitlement, because that becomes messy.”

Prof Ratuva said there was a need to focus on areas where the iTaukei community has traditionally lagged, such as education, business and investment to close socioeconomic gaps and create sustainable progress.

He further pointed that addressing socioeconomic inequities would not only alleviate poverty but also mitigate ethnic disparities and tensions that have historically contributed to political instability in Fiji.

Tackling these systemic issues, he said, requires moving beyond tokenistic measures and implementing policies that empower communities at the grassroots level.

Prof Ratuva also pointed to the potential of fostering collaboration between the Indo-Fijian business community and iTaukei entrepreneurs as a way to drive meaningful change.

Initiatives such as skills training, shared equity in businesses, and inclusive economic strategies could help bridge existing divides and promote national progress.