The Rights, Empowerment and Cohesion (REACH) program has been instrumental in helping Fijians in rural areas access public services.
Permanent secretary for Justice Selina Kuruleca said this during a meeting with members of the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights in Suva last week.
She said the program, which constituted a cohesion of rural and urban areas coverage was a collaborative initiative and involved multiple ministries to ensure that no one was left behind.
“Through this program, essential services, including marriage, birth and death registrations, are brought directly to communities, eliminating the need for people to travel or incur transport costs,” Ms Kuruleca said.
“This approach has significantly improved access to public services, especially for individuals living in remote areas.
“From 2018 to 2022, the REACH program made significant strides by coordinating efforts among ministries to provide critical services at people’s doorstep. As a result, many marriages, births and deaths were successfully registered during these outreach events.”
Ms Kuruleca said road shows were conducted from 2017 to 2019, none during the COVID pandemic, and reusmed again in 2022.
“Due to these disruptions, the program has yet to cover all parts of Fiji as initially planned.
“Given the program’s importance in reaching unserved communities, it is essential to resume then complete the REACH program.
“We recommend that future outreach efforts focus on the areas not yet covered, to ensure that all Fijian citizens, regardless of locations, have accessibility.”
