Wednesday marked the first Northern official visit of the Minister for Lands and Minerals Resources, Mereseini Vuniwaqa.

The Minister was traditionally welcomed at the Nawailevu bauxite site in Bua and she was accompanied by the director of Lands Pritika Prasad, and the director for Mineral Resources, Malakai Finau.

Mrs Vuniwaqa handed over a lease agreement for work to start at the second site in Bua where bauxite has also been identified.

Mrs Vuniwaqa thanked the people of Nawailevu for the grand welcome for her and her team.

“I thank the company for the big investment they have put into the lives of the people of Nawailevu and Bua,” Mrs Vuniwaqa said.

“With the Xinfa Aurum Bauxite Company, it has created employment to most youths of Nawailevu.”

“This is what this Government wants – better standard of living for every ordinary citizen.”

Company managing director Isireli Dagaga said the company also thanked the Government for showing continuous commitment.

“Ever since the company started on May 2011, most of the youths in the village are employed,” Mr Dagaga said.

“Some of these youths are now skilled employees. Some have licence now while some can now operate big machinery.”

He said work on the Nawailevu site was coming to an end and the company had managed to export 1.2million tonnes of bauxite overseas. Mrs Vuniwaqa was in Labasa yesterday for public consultations.

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