JOSAIA RALAGO
Major development project currently underway in the North is expected to not only be a new lease of life for residents but also boost the Northern Economy.
This includes two of the major projects in Labasa which are the construction of the Damodar City Complex and the Fiji National University Campus in Labasa.
In an interview the Fiji National University vice-chancellor Professor Nigel Healey said the new FNU site together with the Damodar City Project, and the services they offer, would appeal to national and regional students.
“We are currently looking at residential accommodation by the river and we think that this project together with Damodar City project with its cinema, food-court, cinemas, hotel and shops will have a very strong super surging, where Damodar City will make our campus more attractive to students in the region,” Professor Healey said.
“In turn, this campus provides customers for their facilities so we are working very closely with Damodar City to make sure the two projects are in step and there is a good pedestrian access between their facility and our campus.” He said they hope to complete construction by the end of this year, allowing them to open their new campus for first semester next year. Both project costs are at $40 million each. Labasa Chamber of Commerce president Satish Kumar said these major projects would definitely boost economic activity in the North.
“This construction of the Damodar City once completed would be one of the major attractions in Labasa and would pull in more people, thus boosting economic activity here,” Mr Kumar said.
“The same goes for the FNU campus which is being constructed right next to it. A lot of developments are taking place in the North and there are more to come.”
The two project are being constructed side by side at Naiyaca Sub-division.