PRIME MINISTER VOREQE BAINIMARAMA'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF KIUVA KABA PENISULAR ROAD

Bula vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all.
 
I’m delighted to be here this afternoon to officially open the Kaba/Kiuva Road.
 
Earlier this week, I also visited Vanua Levu, where I met with the Commissioner Northern Division and his team on the rehabilitation works following TC Tino. We also opened two major infrastructure projects in Nakorotari and Dreketilailai, bringing new levels of access and connectivity to our communities in the north.
 
But today, I’m back from Vanua Levu –– in a very special province –– to open yet another multi-million-dollar roading project. Yet again, we’re opening up Fijian communities to Fiji’s historic steak of economic development. Yet again, we’re building a more equal Fijian society by forging connections between rural regions and the rest of the nation.
 
Before this new road and crossing came to be, this passage could only be traversed over water. Following a 6.2-million-dollar investment from my government, you no longer need a boat to make the direct journey from Kaba to Kiuva. You can drive that distance over eight kilometres of unsealed road and a 20-metre low-level crossing, which connects Kiuva Road to the Kaba Peninsula.
 
Friends, every Fijian, regardless of who they are or where they come from, is filled with tremendous potential. No matter their age, their background or their livelihood, each and every one of us –– whether a primary school student, a parent, a teacher, a farmer, or a fisher –– needs great infrastructure to be the best version of ourselves.
 
It is people who build strong economies. It is people who achieve national greatness. That is why every great country needs great infrastructure that unleashes their people’s potential. We need wide-reaching networks of high-quality roads, bridges, ports and jetties that expand across this country and benefit every Fijian. Over the past decade, by connecting Fijians to each other and to the wider world, by bringing their talents and abilities into the fold of our national development, we’ve unlocked the economic capacity of thousands of our people.
 
And, my friends, this new road will do just that. Today is a special victory for the people of the Kalil, Vatani, Dromuna villages, who are now connected to the rest of their nation like never before.
 
Local farmers will be able to get their produce to the Nausori Market more quickly, leaving more precious time for them to spend with their families. And the resort at Toberua can now receive their guests and supplies more efficiently, making this a more attractive tourism destination in a way that is sure to benefit your local communities. Travelling to school will also be much faster for students travelling to not only the Kaba District Primary School in Dromuna Village, but also to the schools along the existing road to Kiuva, Buretu and Nakelo.
 
You’ll have a quicker commute to our health centres and other government services, allowing you to fully participate in Fiji’s unprecedented progress and economic prosperity.
 
And when it comes to unlocking your own economic potential, I’m confident that this project will open new doors of opportunity that will make a big difference in your everyday lives. The newly-constructed access road will open the doors to inter-island trade, allowing you to both easily send and receive food, supplies, and other goods. But this is just the beginning –– we’re planning to further facilitate the mobility of your Fijian-made goods and produce in the near future, with a provision of new cyclone-resilient jetty to be constructed within the vicinity.
 
Because, my friends, while government can build new bridges and pave new roads, ultimately, the most important path forward is that which you create for yourself. Use this as an opportunity to start a new chapter in your own lives and in your communities –– by doing so, today can be the beginning of something truly great. Don’t let it go to waste.
 
It now gives me great pleasure to declare this new road and crossing project officially open.
 
Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.