Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday launched the Adopt a School website at Suvavou House.

The website can be found at: www.adoptaschool.gov.fj

He said the Fiji Institution of Engineers provided services – free of charge as their donation to the Winston relief effort– to get this project off the ground.

The FIE he said had sent 70 structural assessors in 22 teams to identify the precise needs of the 229 schools and other public buildings such as health centres, that had been damaged or destroyed by Winston.

He said the assessments and FIE’s involvement in rebuilding the schools would ensure that the schools were rebuilt better and stronger than before.

Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said those interested they could use the website.

He said they could just choose a building in a school to rebuild.

Meanwhile, Mr Bainimarama said Fiji’s insurance industry was also in dire need of reform.

He said there had been too great a focus by the insurers to offer coverage to urban communities and tourism-related infrastructure.

“Our rural and maritime communities are not being given the options for insurance coverage that they deserve,” he said.

Mr Bainimarama said he had asked Mr Sayed-Khaiyum to get the insurance industry on track and relevant to all Fijians.

For example, he said many insurance companies currently did not offer flood risk coverage for ordinary Fijians living in Nadi and Ba.

In many countries, he said such a discriminatory practice would not be tolerated.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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