Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga [Source: Parliament of Fiji/ Facebook]

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to complete the digitization of the Record of Titles by the end of this year.

Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says that a consultant is scheduled to meet with the team next week to finalize the implementation phase.

Turaga highlights that the project, which received $100,000 in the new budget following an allocation of $50,000 in the current budget is nearing completion.

He reiterates that the additional funds are intended for planning, scoping, and executing the final stages of the digitization process.

“There were two failed projects undertaken by the previous government. Alamachili, which cost $300,000. You want to know that. So the projects were preserved. In the end, nothing turned out. Then they did a study, and it was paid in the U.S. for 2.5 million. Nothing came out of it. So we’re actually doing what you should have done.”

The Minister emphasizes that the digitization effort not only involves the processing of new records but also includes the preservation of existing documents.

He stresses that this comprehensive approach aims to digitize and preserve historical records, ensuring their longevity and accessibility.

The current digitization project aims to rectify these past shortcomings and establish a robust digital record-keeping system.