Committee flags uneven distribution of PM Grants

Fiji's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has flagged a significant disparity in the distribution of small grant projects funded by the Office of the Prime Minister. Assistant Foreign Minister Lenora Qereqeretabua presented the committee's review report, detailing how one particular province received 78 grant projects totaling over $1.2 million, while other provinces received as few as one.

Qereqeretabua highlighted that the Office of the Prime Minister currently lacks a formal system to measure the impact or return on investment of these small grants. This absence of a robust evaluation framework raises questions about the effectiveness and equity of the program.

To address these concerns, the committee has recommended that grant allocations be based on clear, fair, and transparent criteria. They also called for stronger verification processes and increased public awareness of the grant scheme. Furthermore, a monitoring and evaluation framework is proposed to ensure projects achieve their intended social and economic outcomes.

The committee also noted that approximately $10 million in projects are pending as of 2026 due to insufficient capital budgets. They recommend increasing capital allocations to address this backlog progressively. These comments were made during the debate on the Office of the Prime Minister and Fijian Immigration Department's 2019–2023 Annual Reports.

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Of concern is the roughly $10 million in projects pending as of 2026 due to insufficient capital budgets. The Committee recommends increasing capital allocations to progressively address this backlog.