Respect The Rhythm Of Our Environment: Why A January Budget Shift Threatens Community Resilience

SUVA, FIJI -------As the President of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) and a member of the National Disaster Risk Financing Policy Steering Committee, I am compelled to speak out on the proposed return to a January–December fiscal cycle. While this may appear to be a simple change of dates for some, for the communities we serve, it is a change that risks lives and livelihoods by ignoring the seasonal realities of our nation.

1. Breaking the Backbone of Disaster Funding
On the National Disaster Risk Financing Policy Steering Committee, we have discussed at length and understand firsthand how critical "seamless" funding is. A January budget start effectively splits the cyclone season in two. This creates an unnecessary hurdle in the immediate allocation of funds for disaster relief and long-term recovery. When a community is hit by a cyclone in December, they should not have to worry about whether the government’s "old" budget has run dry or if they must wait for the "new" budget to be activated in January.

2. The December Gap: A Known Inefficiency
FCOSS knows that the machinery of government often slows down around November and December. This is a period when many civil servants are on leave and national response times naturally slow down.
By shifting the budget cycle to begin in January, we are asking a government that is already "shifting gears" during the holidays to also manage the complex transition of a new financial year. Our communities cannot afford to wait for the government to wake up from its holiday slumber if and when a disaster is unfolding on our shores.

3. Undermining Community-Led Policy
The policies we have developed for climate financing may have been finalised in boardrooms; but they were shaped by the lived experiences of communities and civil servants who work on the front lines. These policy directions—focusing on better internal communication and empowering communities to survive when national help is delayed—are now at risk. Every time the government "realigns" its financial calendar, it creates a delay in the delivery of these essential protections.

4. Setting Our Infrastructure Up for Failure
For infrastructure projects like sea walls, evacuation centers, and rural roads, timing is everything. If the new cycle results in funds being released in January, we are effectively pushing major construction into the peak of the rainy season. This is a recipe for:
a. Wasted Public Funds: Cost overruns due to weather disruptions.
b. Broken Promises: Slower delivery of public works that communities are counting on.
c. Compromised Quality: Construction during heavy rains often leads to substandard infrastructure that will not withstand the next storm.

Our Position
Since 2021, we have worked with the Ministry of Finance advocating for a people centred Public Finance Management System.
FCOSS' position is that the national budget is not a purely accounting exercise and should not be treated as such. It is a lifeline to communities and people.
We urge the government to consider the "rhythm of our islands."
We need a financial calendar that ensures the government is at its strongest when our people are at their most vulnerable—not one that forces the nation to "restart" in the middle of a storm.

Sepesa Rasili
President, FCOSS

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