PM raises concerns about the increase in green yaqona theft

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has raised concerns about the increasing cases of green yaqona thefts and says that the Fiji Police Force is proposing that all yaqona businesses and licence holders must include those who are buying and selling green yaqona in its criteria.

He says currently, there is no regulation for the sale and purchase of green yaqona in place.

The Prime Minister says he gets very worried when he sees big yaqona plants presented to him in the sevusevu or traditional welcoming ceremony, wondering whether it was uprooted the day before or the night before.

Rabuka says as part of the Police restructure that was approved in Cabinet in 2018, the Force will establish a new community police post in Taveuni to assist in resolving that issue.

He adds Police will work closely in collaboration with key stakeholders such as young farmers, State and non-state actors to ensure that yaqona theft in Taveuni is resolved once and for all.

The Prime Minister says no one should be stealing anything that another person plants.

He also highlighted that there was a decreasing trend noted from 2020-2023, but in 2024 alone, there was an increase in the number of cases recorded from the beginning up to October of this year.

He says in 2019, there were 71 cases, in 2020, there were 115 cases, in 2021, there were 111 cases, in 2022, there were 98 cases, in 2023, there were 57 cases, and from January to October this year, there were 82 cases.