CAPTION: Village elders and RFMF engineers at the new Vunidawa District library block and staff quarters site.
1. VUNIDAWA STUDENTS OPEN NEW CLASSROOMS – Government’s commitment to make education more accessible saw the opening of today of the Vunidawa District School by the community of Matailobau and Waima during a ground breaking ceremony for 3 new classroom blocks and a teachers quarters.
2. SAVUSAVU RECORDS BUSINESS GROWTH – The Savusavu Town Council has issued 24 new business licenses in the first four months of the year signaling a growth in investment in the Copra Town.
3. MORE THAN EIGHT THOUSAND POTHOLES REPAIRED IN A WEEK – The Fiji Roads Authority has commended road contractors for maintaining and filling potholes around the country.
1. VUNIDAWA STUDENTS OPEN NEW CLASSROOMS
Government’s commitment to make education more accessible saw the opening of today of the Vunidawa District School by the community of Matailobau and Waima during a ground breaking ceremony for 3 new classroom blocks and a teachers quarters.
The project which costs $137,000 for the Naitasiri-based school is funded by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The construction works for a classroom block and teachers quarters for Vunidawa District School, carried out by the RFMF engineers, follows a visit by the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama to the school earlier this year.
Vunidawa District School Principal, Maciu Yabakirua said that today’s ground breaking ceremony signifies the beginning of a new future for the students of the school.
“On behalf of the teachers and students, I would like to thank the government for assisting us with the new classroom blocks that will cater for classes 2, 5 and 6,” Yabakirua said.
“Included in this construction plan is a library and office so I am sure we will also be able to give our class 8 students a new classroom.”
Kemueli Bai of the Yavusa Dawasamu, Nakorovatu (landowning unit which accommodates the Vunidawa Government Station and the Vunidawa District School) said that the people of Matailobau and Waima were also grateful for the assistance by government as this would go a long way.
“The Vunidawa District School which was established in 1952 has been in dire need of refurbishment works and I am pleased that the school is finally receiving assistance from government,” Bai said.
“This school is one of the first schools to be established in the province of Naitasiri but has always been deprived of development but today I can see that government still remains committed to the providing and uplifting the standard of education for our children.”
The Vunidawa District School caters for children from Delaitoga, Matailobau, Nabena, Naqara, Vuisiga and Nakorovatu with a school roll of 158.
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2. SAVUSAVU RECORDS BUSINESS GROWTH
The Savusavu Town Council has issued 24 new business licenses in the first four months of the year signaling a growth in investment in the Copra Town.
Savusavu Town Council special administrator, Vijay Chand said the 24 licenses issued varied from shops and other business including tourism oriented licenses.
Mr Chand said this is also a sign of confidence for a town that is driven by the tourism and copra sectors.
“The license fee is not much but looking at proposals that were given to us – investments from these licenses is in the vicinity of $2 – $3 million,” Mr Chand said.
“We have world-class facilities here in Savusavu and with the booming tourism sector, Savusavu is moving on with more business opening up.”
Increase has also been noted in the construction industry in the small town, which hosts a number of world renowned resorts and hotels such as Namale the Fiji Islands Resort and Spa.
“We have seen a major shift in the construction sector as Savusavu has more than 30 construction companies but we have also issued three more licenses meaning there is a boom in the construction industry.”
This is also evident of Government’s commitment to developing the Northern Division of Fiji through its concerted Look North policy.
The policy is set to have far reaching benefits, demographic and economic, and it also has the potential to arrest the urban drift to Suva.
Government is also hopeful that developments in the division would encourage more Fijians to move to the North and invest there given the infrastructure projects taking place in the North.
“We have the newly opened bauxite mine in Nawailevu and also the construction of the Nabouwalu – Labasa highway, so there are brighter days ahead for the North,” the special administrator said.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Northern Ilai Moceica said the positive development prospects in the two major towns of the Northern Division, Labasa and Savusavu, are progressive.
“Savusavu is predominantly seen as a tourist centre and the issuing of more business licenses would mean more services to tourists. This is a sign of economic activities picking up in Savusavu and we hope that the momentum would continue,” Mr Moceica said.
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3. MORE THAN EIGHT THOUSAND POTHOLES REPAIRED IN A WEEK
The Fiji Roads Authority has commended road contractors for maintaining and filling potholes around the country.
While acknowledging the enormity of the task in filling and resealing all potholes, the authority’s chief executive officer Mr Neil Cook pointed out that the rapid deterioration of potholes throughout the years needs to be addressed.
In one week alone, the FRA attended to 1,950 potholes in the Western Division, 1,351 in the North. About 4,726 potholes for the Central Eastern division alone have been repaired in the same week.
“These are not fresh potholes that our contractors are working on. These are potholes that have seen years of maintenance neglect including continuous refilling”, Mr Cook said.
The authority commended the work carried out by contractors for pothole maintenance and repairs including the patching process.
The authority highlighted that in order to ensure that quality work in being carried out, all road works around the country are monitored on a weekly basis.
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