The Fijian Government plans to reopen its consulate in Auckland to better serve the growing Fijian diaspora and strengthen trade development opportunities in Aotearoa.
Fiji’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, told RNZ Pacific that restoring the Auckland consulate was an important function that needed to be re-established, particularly following the decision by the Coalition Government led by Sitiveni Rabuka to return international trade functions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ratu Inoke explained that under the previous Bainimarama-led government, the international trade portfolio had been shifted from Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Trade, a move that resulted in the closure of the Fiji Consulate Office in Auckland.
“There was previously a Fiji Consulate Office in Auckland, which was closed after the portfolio for International Trade was transferred from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Trade under the previous administration,” Ratu Inoke said.
He said the Fiji mission is now in the preliminary stages of re-establishing a long-term presence in Auckland, before formally notifying the New Zealand Government of Fiji’s intention to reopen the consulate.
The issue was discussed during a recent visit to Wellington by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ chief executive, Dr Raijieli Taga, who met with Ratu Inoke and his team.
Ratu Inoke said more than half of the consular clients currently accessing services in Wellington travel from Auckland, with others coming from different parts of New Zealand.
“It therefore makes practical sense to bring services closer to them,” he said, noting that while the Fiji High Commission currently provides consular services in Auckland on a monthly basis, “this is an interim measure and a more permanent solution is required.”
At present, a consular team from Wellington travels to Auckland each month to process passport registrations and other related matters. The team also provides services to Fijian communities in Niue and the Cook Islands.
Once fully operational, the Auckland consulate will offer the full range of consular services previously available only in Wellington. These include passport lodgement, certificates of identity, citizenship and visa applications, as well as applications for birth, single status, marriage and death certificates, and police clearance.
Ratu Inoke acknowledged ongoing complaints from members of the Fijian diaspora about delays in passport processing, saying the mission has raised the matter with relevant government agencies.
“We do understand the challenges our diaspora face when it comes to getting their new passports in a timely manner,” he said. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve services and ensure more efficient and timely processing.”
