WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 l 16 PAGES l ISSUE 15 VOL 11 l WWW.FIJI.GOV.FJ Fijijj Focus We do more than listen, PM tells villagers Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Rosy Akbar with students and staff of Nadi District School in Bua, Vanua Levu yesterday. Photo: NANISE NEIMILA NANISE NEIMILA School in Bua,Vanua Levu yesterday. to spend time with your community.” “Fiji acted quickly to stop the virus from ‘WE“Seeing the smilesDELIVER’ here in Nasavu Village, “I am here to understand the obstacles you spreading in our country and thank God we I have never led a Government that is I know every dollar spent and every day of face and I am here to learn about how you did. Now, we can live with some sense of content with making all of its decisions hard work was well worth it. For more than can work with your Government achieve normalcy. But the economic pain of border “sitting in offices in Suva.” two years now, the new $1.1m Nadi District your community’s greatest aspirations for closures and lower demand for exports all “Since day one, our ears have been open School has been a home that its students yourselves and ––most importantly –– for around the world have proved devastating to our people. We listen to your ideas. We can count on. Every building including the your children.” for our economy.” take on your concerns. But we do not stop dining hall, hostel, teachers quarters, and Prime Minister Bainimarama adds al- Meanwhile, head teacher of Nadi District there. We do more than just listen –– we de- school block -- has been rebuilt to with- though Fijians are not struggling with a School, Pateresio Kotoinaqara, thanked the liver development that changes lives for the stand the winds of future storms as part of cyclone like Winston today, but they are Government for the assistance in ensuring better.” our national commitment to rebuild better. still threatened by a very serious crisis: the that every Fijian child is provided the op- This was the reassurance made by the “While the doors of this new school have coronavirus pandemic. portunity to access better learning facilities. Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, been open for some time, I am grateful you “Overseas, this deadly virus has claimed Nadi District School has school roll of 225 while speaking at the opening of the new have asked me here to celebrate this devel- nearly one million lives. In many countries, students with 65 boarders currently attend- $1.1million dining hall, hostel, teachers’ opment for your communities. But I am not even a gathering like we are taking part in ing the school. quarters and school block at Nadi District only here to open this new school, I am here today would be a deadly mistake.” email: [email protected]; @FijianGovt; Fijian Government; visit us @ www.fiji.gov.fj NATIONAL MATTERS phone: 3301806 INSIDE Fiji’s first capital aims MAN THANKS PM, GOVT FOR TIMELY HELP 15 to attract more visitors SUVA, NASINU SEAL PRASHILA DEVI would love to come to Levuka- the first capi- renting and we are also looking at the bowling tal of Fiji where the first deed of cession was club,” Minister Kumar said. WASTE COLLECTION DEAL FFORTS are being made to attract signed.” Another major project, she said, was the -13 more locals to visit Levuka Town due He said it was an extremely challenging times municipal market that the Ministry is work- Eto its historical significance while at the for governments all over the world and Fiji has ing with the United Nations Entity for Gender CONSIDER THE same time getting more international tourists not been spared as borders have closed, affect- Equality and the Empowerment of Women DISABLED, BOAT OWNERS whose main interest is visiting heritage sites ing tourism which contributes close to 40 per (UN Women) on as currently the vendors are around the world. cent of Fiji’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) selling the produce outside. ENCOURAGED -10 The Attorney-General and Minister for and is the largest foreign exchange earner. “I see that as a very urgent need to put that Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, speaking The A-G told the diplomats, which included market together so that all those vendors can at Levuka Town Hall to a delegation of diplo- the British High Commissioner His Excellen- move into the market which is much safer and UOTE OF THE WEEK Q mats and business people from the old capital cy Christopher George Edgar, that there were secure for them. The way I vision the market, it last night, laid out some of the areas where the many areas that they can assist especially as will have accommodation for them and a cafe- town can tap into for development. the town was the first capital of the colonial teria. Most of the women come from Motoriki “We have always seen tourism as something government. and they arrive early in the morning,” Minister that has always been associated with people Minister for Local Government and Housing, Kumar said. that live overseas but as you can see after Premila Kumar highlighted some of the Min- The business community of Levuka has ex- COVID-19 many of our hotels are open over istry’s future plans for the town including the pressed its support of Government initiatives Voreqe Bainimarama the weekend because Fijians actually go and recent facelift for the town hall. as they also look at expanding the areas of de- stay at those hotels.” “We also want to turn the Governor’s House velopment for the town and whole of Ovalau It is not easy to provide “So we have never marketed domestic tour- into a gallery with a coffee shop and a restau- beyond the Pacific Fishing Company (PAF- power and clean water in ism and there are many Fijians who, I am sure, rant, once restored then it will be available for CO). rural areas and on small islands. I don’t have to tell you that because you have to live with that reality. But the things that are truly valuable in life are often not easy. So we have to work on it. We have to be committed. Voreqe Bainimarama Prime Minister NUMBERS $3.5m The amount used to strengthen the building at Nakodu Mudu Primary School, which included the reconstruction of six classrooms, a dining hall, library and a main office. TWEET OF THE WEEK Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Community Development Premila Kumar and a delegation from the diplomatic corps based in Suva during their recent visit to Ovalau. Photo: AZARIA FAREEN $20m green energy project for Ovalau António Guterres @antonioguterres PRASHILA DEVI arena and at home. Bureta Development Committee the energy needs of the island. Multilateral institutions need an “This is a first for Fiji so again secretary, Sereana Qoro, speak- The A-G was accompanied by the upgrade to more equitably represent HE island of Ovalau has you are part of the first where we ing on behalf of the villagers, said Minister for Local Government, all the people of the world, rather than giving disproportionate power to great historical signifi- are going to have solar panels put the seven hectares of land that has Housing and Community Devel- some & limiting the voice of others. Tcance for Fiji as the island up across the land but beneath been designated as the site for the opment, Premila Kumar, and a del- We need a multilateral system that of many first and the FJ$20 mil- that we will be able to use it for project sits on freehold land and is egation of the diplomatic corp. innovates, delivers for people & lion Fiji Agro-photovoltaic’ Pro- agricultural purposes. This is new registered under a Trustee. The diplomatic corp. consisted protects our planet. #UNGA ject can be added to this list. technology and this is also better “We the people of Bureta are of the Head of Pacific Delega- The vanua of Bureta Village that utilization of land,” he told the vil- happy and excited about the pro- tion for the European Union, Su- CONTACT sits next to the site of the project lagers of Bureta. ject- for the green energy it will jiro Seam, the Ambassador of the Publisher: Deborah Weiss has expressed its excitement and Fiji, for the first time, has been generate for Ovalau and we are United States to Fiji, Joseph Cella, Sub Editor: Prashila Devi Manager Vernacular: Viliame Tikotani eagerness to be part of the project able to access funding from the much more excited about the agri- British High Commissioner to Fiji, Virendra Lal that will bring “green energy” on Green Climate Fund (GCF) that cultural aspect of the project,” Ms Christopher George Edgar, New North office: Level 3 Macuata House, Labasa West office: Level 1 Ratu Nauliano House, Koroivalu the island. provided funds to the tune of Qoro said. Zealand High Commissioner to Attorney-General and Minister US$5m (FJ$10m) through the Fiji “We understand that the project Fiji, Jonathan Curr, the Deputy Contacts: Suva: 3301806 / West: 6700086 / 9905965 for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khai- Development Bank (FDB) that has will introduce climate smart agri- High Commissioner of Australia to North: 8811276 / 9905971 yum, who visited the site called itself contributed FJ$1m while the cultural technique and our people Fiji, Anna Dorney, the First Secre- Fax: 3305139/3304663 [email protected] Lomaibureta with a delegation, Korean Government’s aid agency are looking forward to learning tary for Development Cooperation @FijianGovt said the project is a culmination of Korean International Coopera- more about it.” for the Embassy of Japan and the Fijian Government visit us at www.fiji.gov.fj the work that has been done by the tion Agency (KOICA) has given a Once operational the APV project KOICA director Jinhee Kim.