FINANCE Minister Esrom Immanuel says the budget set aside for the Fiji Police Force cannot be increased if their performance does not match the increase in budget.
His comments follow concerns raised by Nadi residents during the national budget consultation on the lack of police presence in town and residential areas, as residents fear for their safety and well-being.
In an interview, Mr Immanuel said whether the increase in funds allocated for the Fiji Police Force was effective or not, was a question that needed to be discussed with the Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu, and Minister of Policing Ioane Naivalurua.
“Yes, a lot of them (Nadi residents) had raised concerns about police presence in towns and residential areas,” he said.
“So, they are coming up with community-based policing, but as I’ve shared, we have already increased the police budget for a number of years.
“And whether its effective or not, that is a question we need to discuss with the Police Commissioner and even to the Minister of Policing.
“We can’t keep on increasing the budget and the performance does not match the increase in budget.
“So, the increase in budget does cover the increase in vehicles, increase in recruitment of policemen and women – so that should help the communities in terms of security, but we have heard today (Wednesday) there are concerns raised on security by the community in Nadi.”
In the 2025–2026 Fiji National Budget, Government allocated $240.3million to the Fiji Police Force, a $13.5million increase aimed at strengthening national security.
The funding enabled the recruitment of more than 1000 new officers to combat crime and enhance visibility, bringing the total personnel to more than 6550.
Additionally, $3.8million was allocated to the Ministry of Policing to support its operations in strengthening public trust in law enforcement.
