The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has identified land in Namosi as a possible new burial site as space in urban cemeteries continues to run out, the Deputy Commissioner of Corrections Auta Moceisuva told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights.
Speaking on the Burial and Cremation (Amendment) Act 2025, Mr Moceisuva said discussions were ongoing with landowners but acknowledged several challenges.
“We have been advised by TLTB that there is a piece of land available in Namosi, but it’s still under discussion,” he said.
“If we have to shift burial operations there, we will need to provide a prison close to the site because we rely on inmate labour to provide these services.”
He said the Fiji Corrections Service provides some of the cheapest burial services in the region, using prison labour to reduce costs. “The responsibility has always been with the Fiji Corrections Service because we have labour at our disposal,” Mr Moceisuva said.
However, he warned that moving burial services to Namosi would be costly and logistically challenging.
“For practical reasons, the cost can be high because we would need to transport workers daily, and we are not sure how close the location is to the Queens Highway,” he explained.
