𝐅𝐈𝐉𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

In response to the national budget announced in Parliament on Friday 27/6/25, the FCS extends its sincere gratitude to the government of the day for the increased budget allocation to 62.5m compared to 57.8m in the last budget. The increase is a significant step forward that would address critical development areas in its operational and capital projects in the next financial year.

The FCS policy direction contained under the National Development Plan 2025 – 2029 outlines the strategies for implementation. These broad strategies requires further refinement into operational plans and goals in the areas of safety, security, prison enterprise, intelligence framework and effective rehabilitation. This will also include the development of a strategic human resource framework, continuation of JEE implementation including an additional 40 new positions to strengthen capacity building.

In the new financial year, FCS strives to improve its service delivery to satisfy the public demand to address their diverse communities in Fiji including the relevant provisions of the Constitution relating to the bill of rights. One such area is the maintenance of burial grounds in the major towns and cities in Fiji whereby the FCS is mandated to provide maintenance and upkeep of (7) public graves. In recognizing this, a significant portion of the increase in its budget allocation this year will be directed towards the development of the Nasinu Cemetery which has been allocated $2m.

In as far as the FCS contribution to strengthening and building the economy in Fiji is concerned, FCS has been supporting the sugar cane farmers over the years through the national sugarcane harvesting programme. This year it will continue to work in partnership with the Ministry of Sugar, Fiji Sugar Corporation and relevant industrial partners to harvest sugarcane in Ba, Tavua, Rakiraki, Lautoka and Labasa areas. The harvesting season actually commenced two weeks ago seeing the daily deployment of (161) prisoners and (45) officers to the cane belt areas contributing directly to addressing the acute shortage of labour experienced in the sugarcane industry over the years. The projected tonnage to be harvested by the inmates this season is 27,350. The programme serves a dual purpose by rehabilitating the inmates to acquire a disciplined lifestyle and workforce skill sets, financial literacy and filling the labour crisis gap facing the industry directly impacting on rebuilding the national economy.

The FCS wishes to thank its family members, the community at large and stakeholders for supporting the efforts of the officers who have worked tirelessly to achieve the goals prescribed under its 2024-2025 Annual Corporate Plan. The measure of FCS success has been facilitated by a strict monitoring and evaluation regime designed under the National Planning Office implementation framework that guides this monumental exercise. It is a critical component of the monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that funding allocations are well spent by embracing the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance.

In closing, FCS emphasizes that to effectively rehabilitate inmates, it will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders through its revised rehabilitation framework that includes the process of social reintegration. On the same note, FCS would like to commend the efforts of the families who are genuinely committed to cooperate in the rehabilitation of inmates. The sugarcane harvesting programme now serves to ease the financial burden experienced by the spouses and children of the inmates by meeting expenses on items such as food, education, bills and other family obligations through incomes earned from the programme. This partnership framework intends to strengthen the successful reintegration of the inmates through a reconciliatory pragmatic approach bringing to the forefront a degree of certainty for their assertion back to the community thus contributing to the reduction of crime and building a safer Fiji for all its citizens and investors to boost our economy.