CAPTION: The second branch of U Save Supermarket which was officially opened by Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum last night. The property was formerly known as S.S. Cheta & Sons. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
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People of Votualevu in Nadi can now find all their shopping needs at one place in their suburb after the opening of the second branch of U Save Supermarket in the area last night.
This investment by managing director, Bobby Khan, is in addition to a $3.5million shopping complex in the area, which was opened by the Prime Minister in November last year.
Mr Bobby Khan, owner of U Save Supermarket gives the chief guest Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and his family a tour of the new supermarket. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
Mr Khan, who returned to invest in Fiji after living in New Zealand for more than 22 years, had bought the commercial property recently and renovated the small shop into a modern U Save Supermarket.
The two supermarkets owned by Mr Khan caters for about 10,000 people of the area.
Mr Khan said he is appreciative of the opportunities provided to investors in Fiji and looked forward to more investments in areas lacking in good facilities.
“A lot of people are moving towards Votualevu and I believe that this area holds a big population. We’ve decided to do some investment in this area because if you go to Australia and New Zealand, you’d see complexes and shopping malls in all suburbs but we do not have that here. We have decided to start in Votualevu,” Mr Khan said.
Mr Khan said there are other bigger investments planned for Nadi with plans of building a convention centre and a first class amusement park in the pipeline.
“The convention centre will hold about 600-800 people at a time. It could be used for weddings, church ceremonies, or any other big event.
It would be convenient and affordable and it should be ready by December. Construction works have already started.
“We are also going to have a first class amusement centre in Votualevu. I was in Hong Kong where we got, not 3D, but 4D gaming machines. The machines would arrive at the end of the month and hopefully opened next month. It is going to be really good for our children,” Mr Khan added.
He has already purchased an acre of land in Cuvu, Sigatoka where he wold build another shopping complex.
“The earthworks for the complex would start next week. Hopefully next year, we’ll be expecting another big complex in Cuvu. Sigatoka is also a tourism town and we need some good complexes there too. We are trying to invest in places where facilities like these are lacking,” the managing director highlighted.
Mr Khan’s brother is also going to open a new plaza in Nadi in a couple of months time.
Meanwhile, while officially opening the new supermarket last night, the Attorney-General Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum encouraged other former Fijians living abroad and locals too, to invest in the country as the Government is proving incentives for investment here.
“One of the attractive things about Mr Bobby Khan and investors who have returned to Fiji, is that they have invested in areas where there was a lack of investment,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“Votualevu is a growing suburb of Nadi and there is demand for services and better roads. There is a demand for consumer, hardware items and entertainment in this area. The idea of getting services available at your doorstep is something that we must all get accustomed to.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum added that with the availability of good quality goods and services at affordable prices, the standard of living of the ordinary Fijians would also improve.
“By having such investments in working class areas, we are giving the ordinary Fijians a lot more advantages. We are giving them a lot more access to goods and services. So they do not have to travel long distances and spend more money on bus fares.
MINFO