1. GOVERNMENT ADVANCES NEXT STEPS IN CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW PROCESS
Cabinet endorsed the tabling of the Constitution Review Commission’s Report in Parliament and supported a request fora special sitting of Parliament on 22 September 2026.
The Commission, established in March 2026, conducted nationwide consultations, received written and collective submissions, engaged with stakeholders and reviewed relevant constitutional, legal and policy materials before submitting its Report and a Draft Constitution Bill to His Excellency the President on 31 August 2026.
The Commission’s Report identifies areas for constitutional reform aimed at strengthening democratic governance, accountability and constitutional institutions, based on its review of the 2013 Constitution and the views received through the consultation process.
Cabinet’s decision to table the Report does not constitute acceptance or adoption of all of the Commission’s recommendations. The Cabinet Subcommittee on the Review of the Constitution will continue its detailed consideration of the recommendations, including their practical, legal and policy implications, and will report back to Cabinet on the way forward, including any transitional arrangements that may be required.
The proposed process provides for the Commission’s Report to be debated in Parliament at its sitting from 28 September2026. Subject to the passage of the Bill and subsequent parliamentary processes, a referendum is proposed for November to mid-December 2026, with commencement of the new Constitution, if approved, by 24 December 2026.
2. CRIMINAL RECORDS REGULATIONS 2026
Cabinet endorsed the Criminal Records Regulations 2026 to support the commencement of the Criminal Records Act2026. Police clearance applications from members of the public with adverse criminal records will now be assessed under the provisions of the Act.
In making an assessment, the Fiji Police will take into account spent convictions, expiated fixed-penalty offences, andexpunged historical convictions, as provided for
under the Act. Anyone who has already applied for police clearance and received an adverse record will need to apply for a new police clearance with the Fiji Police.
Those intending to travel overseas, including those intending to travel under the season worker scheme, will need tocomply with the employment and immigration laws of the country they wish to travel to for employment purposes.
The Ministry of Justice will be responsible for assessing and making a decision on expunged historical convictions, which under the Act is defined as homosexual offences under the now repealed Penal Code (Cap.17). Anyone with criminal records relating to historical homosexual offences; or a kin representative of a deceased person with such a record, can make an application to the Permanent Secretary for Justice seeking expungement of that record.
The application form for expungement of criminal records will be made available by the Ministry of Justice.
Kin of the deceased who can make applications are:
- spouse;
- child;
- adopted child —including a child who is not the subject of a final adoption order under the Adoption Act 2020 but who is under the supervision of the person;
- parent or step-parent;
- sibling or step-sibling;
- grandparent;
- grandchild;
- uncle or aunt;
- nephew or niece; or
- headman of a mataqali.
Unsuccessful applicants will have an opportunity to appeal the decision through the Mercy Commission. There will be no compensation for those whose records are expunged.
3. GREAT COUNCIL OF CHIEFS LEGISLATION
Cabinet endorsed the commencement of the standalone legislative process to establish the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (GreatCouncil of Chiefs) under the Constitution and to law. The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs will complete the required processunder section 11 of the iTaukei Affairs Act 1944, including further consultation with relevant iTaukei institutions, before the Bill is returned to Cabinet for final consideration and introduction into Parliament.
4. FIJI’S FULL MEMBERSHIP IN FUTURE OF INVESTMENT AND TRADE PARTNERSHIP
Cabinet approved Fiji’s application for full membership of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FIT-P), a voluntary and non-binding partnership of small and medium-sized, trade-dependent economies. Full membership will provide Fiji with a direct voice in discussions on supply chain resilience, investment facilitation, trade facilitation, non-tariff barriers and digital trade, while supporting trade diversification, investment opportunities and Fiji’s participation in international markets. Fiji’s membership will also strengthen the Pacific perspective within FIT-P and advance the
interests of Small Island Developing States. There are no membership fees, and participation in individual workstreams remain voluntary.
5. 2027 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Cabinet endorsed the 11 proposed public holidays for 2027, in accordance with the statutory requirements under the Employment Relations Act 2007. The Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations will formally declare these dates through a Gazette notice.
6. REVIEW OF NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE AND SECTORAL WAGES
Cabinet approved a comprehensive review of Fiji’s National Minimum Wage (NMW) and minimum sectoral wages across 10 sectors. The review will be led by an independent, suitably qualified consultant who will assess wage trends, labour market and economic conditions, inflation, productivity, employment and poverty levels, while considering the views of workers, employers, Government and the public. The review will also assess the potential impacts of wage changes on businesses, employment, investment, productivity, trade and regional economies. The findings will bepresented to the Employment Relations Advisory Board and the Wages Councils for consideration and 30 days of public consultations held, before the final recommendations are submitted to Cabinet for consideration.
7. ACCESS TO GEDSI FLEXIBLE FUND
Cabinet endorsed the participation of relevant Government ministries, agencies, bodies in the Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Flexible Fund established under the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union. Implemented through the Fiji Program Support Platform, the Fund provides demand-driven technical assistance and flexible support to strengthen gender equality, disability inclusion and social inclusion across Government programmes and services. Support may include specialist advice, policy development, research, capacity building, accessibility initiatives and systems strengthening, with funding available up to AUD100,000 per initiative annually.
8. COUNTER NARCOTICS BILL 2026
Cabinet endorsed the Counter Narcotics Bill 2026. The Bill will establish the Counter Narcotics Bureau as Fiji’sprincipal agency for the prevention, detection, investigation and disruption of illicit drug activity, while strengthening national coordination, enforcement, international cooperation and oversight. It will modernise Fiji’s counter-narcotics framework by introducing offences relating to illicit drugs, controlled chemicals and equipment, strengthening investigative and enforcement powers, and establishing diversion, treatment and rehabilitation pathways. The Bill willalso provide measures to protect vulnerable and at-risk persons affected by drug use and related harms and will repealand replace the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004 and the Dangerous Drugs Act (Cap 114).
9. DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING REGULATIONS
Cabinet endorsed the commencement of work to develop regulations for a legally binding Marine Spatial Plan (MSP)under section 84 of the Climate Change Act 2021. The MSP will provide a national framework to sustainably manageFiji’s marine areas,
support the commitment to effectively manage 100 per cent of Fiji’s waters and designate 30 per cent as marineprotected areas by 2030, while enabling sustainable use and growth of the blue economy. The regulations will establish processes for the preparation, approval, implementation and review of the MSP, including arrangements for Government coordination, public participation, enforcement and compliance, sustainable financing, and the consideration of traditional and customary rights. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Ministry of Fisheries will lead the work in consultation with the Office of the Solicitor-General and other relevant ministries and agencies.
10. SUPPORT FOR BBNJ AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION
Cabinet endorsed the execution of a Small-Scale Funding Agreement between the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded project to support Fiji’s implementation of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The two-year project, running until September 2028, will assess Fiji’s legal, policy, institutional and technical readiness to implement the Agreement,identify gaps and priorities, and support stakeholder consultations, awareness-raising and capacity building. The project will strengthen Fiji’s preparedness to implement its international ocean commitments and support its leadership in ocean governance and the interests of Small Island Developing States. The project will be fully financed by the GEF at a total cost of USD175,000.
11. KIGALI HFC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PROJECT
Cabinet endorsed the execution of a Small-Scale Funding Agreement between the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the implementation of Fiji’s Kigali HFCImplementation Plan (KIP) Stage I Project. The project will support Fiji in meeting its obligations under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol by reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) consumption and transitioning towardsclimate-friendly, low-global-warming-potential technologies. The first stage, covering 2025–2029, targets a 10 per cent reduction in Fiji’s HFC consumption from the national baseline and will strengthen national policies, licensing and monitoring systems, enforcement capacity, technician training and industry transition. The project will be financedthrough the Multilateral Fund, with approved Stage I funding of US$170,000.
12. PHASE III OF THE CLIMATE ACTION TRANSPARENCY PROJECT
Cabinet endorsed the execution of a Project Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Environment and ClimateChange and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the implementation of Phase III of the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) Project in Fiji. The project will support the development of a national ClimateFinance Transparency Framework to strengthen the identification, tracking, reporting and use of climate finance information. It will also strengthen climate finance governance, institutional arrangements, reporting systems, capacityand resource mobilisation, while supporting Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions
and transparency obligations under the Paris Agreement. UNOPS will provide grant funding of USD133,300 for implementation.
13. PROJECT TO TACKLE INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES
Cabinet endorsed the implementation of the Global Environment Facility–Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GEF-GBFF) project, “Restoring Ecosystems: Tackling Invasive Alien Species to Protect Biodiversity in Fiji,” to strengthen invasive species prevention, detection, management and eradication, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity protection. A Small-Scale Funding Agreement with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be executed for the Project Preparation Grant worth US$50,000, fully funded through the GEF-GBFF, with US$15,000 allocated to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and US$35,000 managed by UNEP for international consultancy and related costs.
14. FIJI-JAPAN YOUTH AND SPORTS COOPERATION
Cabinet approved the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Fiji’s Ministry of Youth andSports and the Fukuoka Prefectural Government of Japan on youth development and sports excellence.
The MOU will strengthen cooperation in youth leadership, high-performance sports, education and scholarships,cultural exchange and sustainability. It will also support the establishment of the Fiji Institute of Sports through athleteand coach exchanges, sports science expertise, training opportunities and institutional support. The partnership will provide opportunities for Fijian youth, athletes and coaches to benefit from Fukuoka’s expertise and strengthen people-to-people ties between Fiji and Japan.
15. HOSTING OF 2026 MSG PRIME MINISTER’S CUP
Cabinet approved Fiji’s hosting of the 2026 Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Prime Minister’s Cup and SportsMinisters Meeting, in line with the MSG’s rotational hosting arrangement. The tournament will promote regional sporting cooperation and strengthen relations among MSG members, while providing greater competitive exposure and development opportunities for athletes. Fiji will provide the required venues, accommodation, transport, medical and security services and other logistical arrangements, supported by a Local Organising Committee.