Three of Goundar Shipping Limited vessels berthed at Port Mua-i-Walu on February 12, 2018. Photos: Taraivini Seru
Local shipping magnate George Goundar has secured a piece of land along the Tailevu North coast for a $5 million wharf which he plans to be completed by the end of this year.
Yesterday the managing director of Goundar Shipping Services Limited confirmed that the new wharf will be located near Matavatuvou in Tailevu North.
The $5 million wharf will service the Eastern Division and neighbouring Pacific Islands.
Related stories
“I have the consent of the landowners and the concerned Government agency also knows,” Mr Goundar said.
“We’re planning to start operations from Tailevu North in January, 2019 or December, 2018,” he said.
“I am frustrated with how this business of Lomaiviti V berthing at the Suva Port as specific tide level.
“It is really a very tiny problem but made big because people don’t know what they need to do.”
A marine mechanical engineer by profession, Mr Goundar has more than 30 years of international experience in the shipping industry in Canada.
“The new Tailevu wharf will accommodate all my five vessels for local and regional services,” he said.
“The new wharf will feature all details to accommodate all my vessels.
“It will alleviate the problems we encounter almost every day at the Muaiwalu Jetty in Walu Bay Suva.”
Commissioner Central Setareki Tale said he would not comment on the plans for the construction of the wharf on the Tailevu North coast because he had not received the details of the new development.
“I will comment when I have information,” Mr Tale said.
Meanwhile GSSL recently received the approval for the bus service licence to complement their shipping service.
To complement their roll on-roll off services, passengerswill no longer worry about reaching their destinations now that buses are provided.
“Our buses have been sitting idle for months now, with the approval we will now eventually use them,” he said.
He said the company was planning to purchase two more vessels this year due to the demand in the country and from the region.
“We’ve missed out on purchasing a vessel in Japan a few days ago because of the time difference,” he said.
“That vessel would have been right for our regional service.
For the region, Mr Goundaris looking at serving Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Tonga and Kiribati including the 16 islands of the Gilbert Group.
