iTaukei parents have taken to social media to vent their frustrations about the processes involved in getting their newborn children registered.
A mother who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity said registering her child was very frustrating and time-consuming.
“My daughter is almost one and we still have yet to register her because it’s so difficult,” she said.
“My husband and I took a week of leave from work and we were still unable to get it done.
“The question is, why have they made it so difficult now compared to before?”
Ministry of iTaukei Affairs permanent secretary Pita Tagicakirewa said indigenous parents were required to get green certificates from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs in Nasese in order to register their newborn children at the Suvavou House.
“The green certificates are needed to confirm their tokatoka, mataqali, yavusa, koro, tikina and yasana,” Mr Tagicakirewa said.
“This is now required because some parents are not aware of their own profile and as a result, they give the wrong information to the Registrar General.
“From the iTaukei Affairs experience, this has also caused village disputes in some instances.”
Mr Tagicakirewa also added that the birth certificates of both parents were the only required documents needed for registering their children in the Vola ni Kawa Bula (VKB).
