A total of 131 complaints were received by the Ministry of Justice in relation to services provided by its offices and Justices of the Peace (JPs) around the country.
Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga was asked by Opposition MP Ketan Lal, via a written question in Parliament, about the number and nature of complaints lodged by the general public and the private sector in 2024.
Mr Turaga said some of the issues related to the Registrar of Titles office, Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) offices, Registrar of Companies office, Office of the Official Receiver and JPs.
“Quite a number of complaints are only for basic enquiries on registration process, family relative search, title search and business applications process and requirements and etcetera,” he said.
“Frequent technical issues affected the delivery service, particularly with the E-ROC and E-BDM systems.
“Change of names of spouse from their maiden name back to their marriage name, a change that was initiated by the previous administration, which has put a lot of burden to the general public, especially married women.”
Mr Turaga said many clients and customers were unaware of the necessary requirements and documentations.
He said customers also faced difficulties accessing online services, which limited their ability to process applications remotely.
“Customers often complain about the turnover time in receiving their lodgements request from the titles office, transferring documents and searching for titles request.
“Complaints from the general public in regard to JP behaviour, which is unprofessional and unbecoming of the office in which they are serving.”
