Fiji Seafarers Centre Nearing Completion
Construction of the new Fiji Seafarers Center is well underway in Walu Bay as the Institute of Maritime Officers Guild (Fiji) have big plans for local serving and retired maritime officers.
General Secretary Lopeti Radravu said setting up the new Fiji Seafarers Center was part of two key requirements that needed to be met to establish the Guild.
The Guild is a registered group of local serving and retired maritime officers that help provide expert maritime advice to Government, private sector and the general public.
Fiji Seafarers Center is part of a major conceptual plan to renovate the old Government building in Walu Bay, Suva.
Mr Radravu said one of the objectives of setting up the Fiji Seafarers Center was to also strengthen and support the goals setup by the Guild.
He said some of the key features of the Fiji Seafarers Center is a sea missions center as well as an office space for Women in Maritime Fiji and Women in Fisheries Fiji.
He said the sea mission center will provide phycological support to seafarers who may be affected phycological onboard.
“We will also have the seafarer’s accommodation setup upstairs for foreign seafarers who sail to Fiji,” he said.
“For example, we have a seafarer from Sri Lanka coming to Fiji through one of the vessels.
“They will contact us; the bus will go and pick them up from the wharf and they can rest here at the center before their next trip.”
This Friday, the Guild will hold its annual general meeting where the executives will table key goals and plans outlined for the Guild members.
Initially the AGM was planned for last year but was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Mr Radravu said as part of setting up the Guild, they needed to officially register and set up an office which is the new Fiji Seafarers Center.
He said renovations of the new Fiji Seafarers Center were valued close to $35k in terms of cash donors and in kind donation.
“We have recorded all these in our financial reports which we will table this Friday to show our members what has been done and other plans.”
The AGM will be held at the Fiji Seafarers Centre in Walu Bay, Suva from 5pm – 7pm.
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