Stakeholders in the Western Division gathered in Nadi this week for the inaugural National Rural Development Policy (NRDP) Multi-Stakeholder Validation Workshop.
Speaking at the opening, acting permanent secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mitieli Cama said the workshop was an important milestone in Fiji’s national development journey.
“The Western Division is central to Fiji’s development story,” he said.
“It is a region of strong agricultural production, tourism industry, trade, culture, and community resilience.
“At the same time, it faces many development challenges, including climate risks, rural-urban pressures, service delivery gaps, infrastructure needs, market access constraints, and the need to create more opportunities for our rural and maritime communities.”
Mr Cama said the NRDP was developed to respond to these realities.
“It seeks to move rural development away from fragmented and isolated projects, towards a more integrated, coordinated, place-based and people centred rural development transformation system.
“The NRDP is about ensuring that development is not only planned from the centre, but shaped by the voices, priorities and aspirations of our provinces, districts, villages, settlements, communities, private sector, churches, civil society, and development partners.
“This validation workshop gives us the opportunity to test whether the draft policy truly reflects the realities of the Western Division.”
He said the role of stakeholders at the workshop was crucial in ensuring the policy becomes practical, realistic and implementable.
“We want to hear whether the proposed policy direction, principles, outcomes, and implementation arrangements are strong enough to guide rural transformation over the coming years.
“This policy does not begin from a blank page. It builds on the important work undertaken through the review of the Integrated Rural Development Framework 2009, commonly known as the IRDF. That review provided the foundation for the new National Rural Development Policy.”
The two-day workshop ended yesterday and is part of eight divisional workshops conducted around Fiji, aimed at raising awareness of the draft National Rural Development Policy.
