FAMILY planning policies need to be revised, Fiji Council of Social Services director Hassan Khan says.
He said if the use of condoms was hurting population growth, then people in provinces like Lomaiviti should stop using them.
Mr Khan was reacting to Lomaiviti Provincial Council chairman Ratu Jolame Lewanavanua saying they would discuss the possibility of reducing the use of condoms as a drop in the number of students had been noted.
Ratu Jolame said the council had placed a ban on drinking yaqona, alcohol and smoking for the latter two weeks of every month starting this year for the next three years.
"In the long term, the family planning policy should be re-examined to ensure that something like what is happening in Singapore doesn't happen to us," Mr Khan said.
He said limits had been placed on the number of children per family in Singapore but 20 years on, the country faced a shortage in labour and had to hire overseas labour.
"There should be a national conference to discuss population development. This is an issue that can be discussed by the National Council for Building a Better Fiji."
Fiji Women's Crisis Centre co-ordinator Shamima Ali said the choice to use condoms should be for the family to make.
"Condoms are used for protection from HIV and that should be kept in mind," said Ms Ali.
"We can encourage an increase in population but the choice should be the family's."
She agreed yaqona drinking could be a factor in the fall in birth rate as men often 'knocked out' when they got home from a grog session.
"They spend long hours away from home," she said.
