MASTER BUILDERS TO ENGAGE MORE WITH GOVERNMENT
Re-elected Fiji Master Builders Association (FMBA) President Vijay Raghwan has been given a fresh mandate by members to engage directly with Government.
This was one of the key messages to come out of the recent FMBA 56th Annual General Meeting held in Suva.
Mr Raghwan says “there has never been a more pro-active and responsive Government than this, and as an industry, we hope to leverage off such meaningful dialogue.”
He says the industry body was very encouraged with the level of active engagement they have had with Government Ministries on various issues and one area they hoped to pursue was “the review of entry requirements for trade courses at technical training institutions.”
“We have been in existence for 56 years now and for the first time, we have direct access to the key decision makers like never before. That is a huge plus for our industry,” says Mr Raghwan.
Another key issue the FMBA hopes to discuss with authorities is the building code which they hope can enforce proper licensing and accreditation of all building contractors in the country.
FMBA member and Basic Industries CEO Mosese Volavola endorsed the move saying “there needs to be a criteria for who qualify as a master builder so we and the public can differentiate who is who in the industry.”
Meanwhile the FMBA has also reminded their members to familiarize themselves with their building contracts.
“This is why we are called building contractors, we must fully understand the fine print in our contracts, because failure to do so, could spell huge problems down the line not just for ourselves, but also our clients,” says Mr Raghwan.
Mr Raghwan says with his 48 years experience in the building sector, he has seen many companies fail because of this.
FMBA members have also been advised to brace themselves for a construction boom with major projects announced by Government and private investors.
Caption: Recent meeting following the AGM FMBA President Vijay Raghwan (right) with Fiji Association of Architects Representative Jon Orton (left) discusses a point.
