$11Million Keiyasi Town Will Lift Burden off Highlanders

Years of long distance travel to Sigatoka Town to access government services or to sell farm produce will soon be a hurdle of the past.

The sentiment was raised by Mesulame Veremalua, 68, the head of Sauturaga Clan in Korolevu Village yesterday.

This was during the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Keiyasi Town project in Navosa Province.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officiated in Phase One of the $11million project.

Mr Veremalua said it was a happy occasion for people in the highlands of Navosa, because the project would open many more services and opportunities in this remote area of the province.

“It will open up jobs for the people of Navosa, ultimately leading to the improvement of their living standards,” he said.

Korolevu Village Sauturaga head Mesulame Veremalua holds the tabua, while Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka looks on. Photo: Waisea Nasokia

With Navosa being a largely farming community, the new town will bring the market closer to farmers, reducing considerably high costs of transporting their produce to Sigatoka Market, which is some 53 kilometres away.

Mr Rabuka said the development spoke of the foresight and generosity of the chiefs and people of Keiyasi, in the district of Namataku, and the landowning unit of Namoilevu.

They had offered support for this project by their decision to give up little more than nine hectares of their land to be leased as site of the new Keiyasi Town.

Such a development plan is important because it will foster lasting national unity and shared vision, in addition to the social, economic and political advancement of the nation.

“This plan should facilitate practical solutions to the social and economic sectors and it will guide the work of the Government in unlocking the huge potentials that remote regions like Keiyasi have on offer,” Mr Rabuka said.

“Such towns will diversify the trade and business network, resulting in economic growth that contributes to the rise in the country’s Gross Domestic Product.”

The contractor, Construction Equipment Hire Limited (Lautoka), together with the project manager, West-Eng Consulting Ltd, with the hope to complete Phase One of work in about 18 months.

He revealed that part of the plan included development of 27 commercial lots and four industrial sites.

The civil work carried out on the site before Phase Two kicks in:

•  Construction of civic buildings,
•  Public amenities like the market,
•  Bus stand
•  and public parks.

The development of Keiyasi Town is one of four designated growth centres in Fiji. The other three are Nabouwalu and Seaqaqa in Vanua Levu and Korovou (Tailevu).

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