The work on the new master plan for the new Suva Port has yet to be completed.

This was confirmed to the Fiji Sun yesterday by the chief executive officer of the Fiji Ports Authority, Mr Vajira Piyasena.

According to Piyasena there have been talks about the relocation for years now and this will only happen after the master plan has been completed.

The Suva Port he said was congested and there was a need for a port of container ships.

He said there was a need to separate huge ships from shipping vessels.

Mr Piyasena said a firm decision about the new Suva Port could only be made once the master plan was completed.

The Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had already announced that the Government and Sri Lankan Corporation Aitken Spence PLC were looking at ways to relocate Suva’s Kings Wharf because of its weakening foundation structure.

According to an ADB Report the Kings Wharf in the port of Suva is the country’s main container and multi-purpose port facility was originally built in 1963. It was rehabilitated and developed to handle containers under the first ADB loan to the port sector, approved in 1979. Twenty years later, at the end of the rehabilitation’s expected life; the condition of the facility was deteriorating. The wharf apron was aging and its load-carrying capacity was reduced; the reclamation on which it was built was below minimum seismic standards; and efficient port operations were hindered by lack of container storage capacity.

Mr Piyasena said reaffirmed that a decision on the new Suva Port would be confirmed once the master plan was ready.

In the meantime he said everything was normal at the Suva Port.