Economist calls for national ID-style data system in Fiji

Fiji should adopt a national data system with unique identifiers for every household, business, and farm to improve planning and disaster response, according to a senior economist at the University of the South Pacific. Dr. Mahendra Reddy presented this proposal as part of his submission to the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights regarding the Statistics Bill 2026.

Dr. Reddy explained that a national household statistical register would enable tracking of household changes over time. He emphasized the feasibility of such a system in Fiji, noting the country's relatively small population of around 300,000 households. "We need to have absolute capture of all the households in the region. Why are we not? It’s such a small [country], there are about no more than 300,000 households in the country," he stated.

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We need to have absolute capture of all the households in the region. Why are we not? It’s such a small ,there are about no more than 300,000 households in the country. It’s just like, you look at highly populated China and India. We can get all the data about the household.

The economist further highlighted the benefits for disaster response and social protection. "The benefits of this would be when a cyclone or flood, you know, drought, pandemic, et cetera, happens, you know, we immediately know which households are affected, what the vulnerable persons are living in the affected areas, the farmers that require access, et cetera," he said.

Dr. Reddy urged Fiji to transition to a fully digital, real-time statistical system. Such a move, he believes, would significantly enhance the government's ability to respond to crises and monitor development needs across the nation.

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The benefits of this would be when a cyclone or flood, you know, drought, pandemic, et cetera, happens, you know, we immediately know which households are affected, what the vulnerable persons are living in the affected areas, the farmers that require access, et cetera.