More than $181m Development for Ba Province

30/08/2022

MEREANI GONEDUA
 
The Fijian Government has spent over $181m to develop Ba Province from 2014 to 2021.

This was highlighted by Prime Minister Voreqe Baini­marama while opening the Ba Provincial Council meet­ing in Sorokoba recently.

“Over that period, right here in Ba, my Government invested $59 million in social protection support through the Ministry of Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation. Those funds have shielded those most vulnerable from hardship; lifted people from poverty; and made for a more equal society. Those programmes all continue in the new financial year.”

“To ensure safe and reliable infrastructures for users, we have committed more than $37m to Ba Province through the Fiji Roads Authority to build bridges and jetties and make your communities brighter and safer.
“We have dramatically reduced the time it takes to re-open roads after flooding. And we’ve made our coastal zones more resilient through erosion prevention.”

PM Bainimarama highlighted that from 2014-2021, the Fijian Government has helped more communities turn on the tap through over $32m in water infrastructure investments in the province.

“Every Fijian has a right to clean water –– our Constitution en­sures it. We have made sure that important water installations are improved and supply capacity is maintained through targeted in­vestments for Nagado, Vuda junction to Saweni junction, and the servicing of thousands of homes through Rural Water Scheme in your province.”
“You can ask the 500 villagers of Nasivikoso in Magodro or 60 households in Waikubukubu Village in Savatu, just to name a few. They will attest that this Government does what it says it will do. We do not make empty promises – we deliver them.”

The PM stated that to expand access to electricity across the Ba Province, an investment of over $39m was made in electrification projects through the Department of Energy’s solar home systems, grid extensions, house wiring projects, and EFL services.

“From 2014 to 2020, 159 electrification projects have been com­pleted in Ba for the benefit of over 2,200 households.”

In addition, grid extensions have also been completed in areas such as Navala and Namau, which were commissioned in 2019.

“We’ve also carried out work recently on the Vuda substation, transmission line towers from Nadarivatu Switchyard to the Vuda substation, and sub-transmission lines from Vuda to Naikabula and Vuda to Rarawa for the benefit of Fijians in Lautoka, Ba and Tavua.”

He also highlighted that the Ba Province has reaped the rewards of the concerted investment and targeted assistance in the agricultural sector whereby more than $1m has been spent on programmes for crop extension, Rural Outer Island and Livestock.”
 
-ENDS-