Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua says any move to cancel Fiji’s five-year Counter Narcotics Strategy must be carefully weighed, warning that the drug threat goes far beyond policing alone.
“Any decision to cancel or shelve the strategy should indeed be carefully considered, and it will ultimately be a decision of Cabinet,” Mr Tikoduadua said.
“The Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028 was designed as a whole-of-government approach to an issue that affects not only law enforcement but also health, education, and communities,” he said.
“While the structure and resourcing of enforcement agencies can change over time, the underlying challenge of narcotics remains.
“For that reason, I believe it is important that Government retains a coordinated national framework, regardless of which ministry has direct oversight of the CNB.”
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has already flagged the possibility of taking the strategy back to Parliament to be cancelled, following the shock closure of the Counter Narcotics Bureau last week after some of its officers were implicated in the drug trade.
Mr Tikoduadua said while command of the bureau no longer rested with Defence, his ministry would remain a partner in anti-narcotics work.
“As Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, my ministry no longer holds command or control over the bureau, but we will continue to provide support to the Ministry of Policing in this area.”
