09/09/2026
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๐๐๐๐ - The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management convened the Eastern Division Validation Workshop for the draft National Rural Development Policy (NRDP) in Suva today, providing key stakeholders with an opportunity to share their experiences, priorities and recommendations to strengthen rural development planning in Fiji.
The workshop was officiated by the ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข ๐๐๐ฆ๐, at the Southern Cross Hotel in Suva.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Cama highlighted the unique development realities of the Eastern Division, which encompassed the maritime provinces of Lomaiviti, Lau and Kadavu, as well as Rotuma, where communities were spread across remote islands and separated by significant distances of ocean.
He emphasised that rural development in the Eastern Division must take into account the regionโs geographical realities, particularly challenges relating to transport and connectivity, shipping services, market access, digital connectivity, and access to post-harvest and value-addition infrastructure.
โRural development in the Eastern Division cannot be approached in exactly the same way as development in mainland or more accessible areas of Fiji. Our geography must shape our development solutions,โ Mr. Cama said.
He noted that while communities across the division had significant potential in agriculture, fisheries, tourism, handicrafts, small and micro-enterprises and blue economy activities, stronger infrastructure, skills and market linkages were also needed to translate these opportunities into improved livelihoods.
Mr Cama also stressed the importance of ensuring that communities were not simply recipients of development projects, but became active partners and owners of their own development.
He said the draft NRDP proposed a more integrated planning system that connected community, district, provincial, divisional and national levels of development planning.
Under the proposed approach, Community Development Plans would inform District Development Plans, which would in turn contribute to Provincial Development Plans and ultimately a Divisional Development Plan. This would provide a clearer and more coordinated line of sight from community priorities to national development planning.
Mr Cama said such an approach could help reduce duplication, address planning gaps and ensure Government agencies, development partners, civil society, traditional structures and the private sector worked towards agreed community priorities.
For the Eastern Division, he highlighted the importance of addressing shipping and connectivity, value addition and market access, digital connectivity, and creating greater opportunities for women, youth and vulnerable groups.
He further emphasised that rural development was also maritime development, noting that the islands, ocean, communities and natural resources of the Eastern Division were interconnected.
The validation workshop provides stakeholders with an opportunity to identify gaps, share what is working, propose practical solutions and ensure that the draft National Rural Development Policy is responsive to the realities of rural and maritime communities.
โThe success of this Policy will not be measured by the quality of the document alone. It will be measured by whether it can translate into better livelihoods, better connectivity, stronger local economies, improved services and greater opportunities for our rural and maritime communities,โ Mr. Cama added.
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