CAPTION: PM Bainimarama with Lomeri Secondary School students. Photo: MINFO.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has today highlighted that Government is working on bridging the digital divide to ensure all Fijians have equal access to benefits of technology.
In opening the new telecentre at Lomeri Secondary School in the Serua Province, the head of government said telecentres play a key role in Government’s work to empower all Fijians by providing them access to the digital world.
The centre will provide free internet services for more than 280 students including citizens from surrounding villages within the province.
“Every Fijian, no matter where they’re from or how much money they make, deserves equal access to the benefits of technology. That’s why my Government is bridging the divide – the digital divide – between the rich and poor, the urban and rural,” PM Bainimarama said.
“As a result of our reforms, more Fijians now have access to computers and the internet than ever before.”
PM Bainimarama said Government was working towards achieving 100 per cent mobile coverage in Fiji by giving subsidies to companies that provide services in remote and rural areas.
“And every time I open another one of these telecentres, hundreds if not thousands more Fijians are plugged into Fiji’s telecommunications revolution,” PM Bainimarama said.
“By the end of this year, 60-thousand more Fijians including five thousand students will have access to the internet at more than 20 community telecentres across Fiji.”
Lomeri Secondary School principal, Iosefo Matavue said that students were benefitting from the internet services as they previously had to travel far to get access.
“Students have been using the internet to source information for their school projects and with this new telecentre they will not have to travel as far as Navua to access internet services,” Mr Matavue said.
Vanuadogo villager, Keresi Tawake whilst commending government for the new telecentre said the new facilities has brought services closer to the community of Batiwai.
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister and Government for bringing services closer to the community here, previously we used to travel far to access internet and use computers,” Ms Tawake said.
“The opening of the telecentre today has opened new doors of opportunity for us.”
Government has already opened 10 telecentres so far with close to 20,000 Fijians using these facilities to connect with friends and family in Fiji and abroad, search for jobs, do school work, research, print, scan and photocopy.
MINFO