‘YOU’RE NOT FORGOTTEN’
Prime Minister assures Ovalau villagers that Government will help them address their needs
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s Ovalau tour theme that no one is forgotten came to life yesterday.
For the villagers of Nasonoso Melanesian Settlement in Levuka, the days of paddling to fish for food using wood and styrofoam ended yesterday. Mr Bainimarama donated a 23 foot half cabin fibreglass boat, 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine and safety kit accessories valued at $19,684. He said: “We have not forgotten about you, and your families and this will assist your livelihoods.
“This comes from my office and this assistance I
do to those Melanesian families that seek assistance from me. This includes school, boat, housing and even land.”
He said his last visit was in 2016, after Ovalau fell victim to the widespread destruction of Tropical Cyclone Winston.
“While it’s always good to be back in Levuka, this visit has been particularly encouraging. In the wake of the storm’s devastation, it was unimaginable to think that we’d be here today, just two years later - welcoming new investments, opening new developments, and equipping Fijians with the tools to grow their businesses.
“But all of this is proof of my Government’s commitment to ensuring that each and every Fijian enjoys the benefits of our nation’s growing economy, regardless of who they are or where in Fiji they call home.”
He said he had made it a personal mission to make sure that our many maritime communities “are not overlooked, but instead, are brought to new heights.”
The projects he officiated in included: • Handing out 264 Micro and Small Business Grants at Levuka. Commissioning the first-ever Legal Aid Office in Ovalau. Those seeking legal services will no longer have to make the long journey to Viti Levu. Filing of records with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry with the official opening of the BDM office here in Levuka.
Opening of the new Levuka Market Bridge. This is just one of three bridges that have been made possible in Ovalau, an investment of $8.8 million in all. A boat and two engines to fishing groups, giving them the tools to succeed and build a livelihood and support their families. Because as much as the Opposition likes to insult everyday workers by calling Government investments like these “handouts”, Mr Bainimarama said visits like this week in Ovalau allowed him to see one thing that they will never understand: the great potential in Fijian people – success that is just waiting to be tapped into. Commissioning of the newly-relocated Nauou Village. This is a project that is very close to the PM’s heart because it’s the people of Nauou, and other vulnerable communities like it, who have driven Fiji to the global stage in the past year to lead the international community in the fight against climate change.
More progress that the people of Ovalau can look forward to. The 2018-2019 Budget has set aside $3.2 million for the new Moturiki Water Supply Project, which will allow for the piping of water from Bureta across the sea to the eight villages and 858 households on Moturiki Island.
Opening the new cold storage facility for PAFCO. He said PAFCO had come a long way since its establishment in 1964, when its primary business was to receive and hold tuna for shipment to Japan for processing. “PAFCO’s tuna is now proudly stocked on the shelves of supermarkets all over America. Over the last 54 years, PAFCO has been the primary driver for employment in not only in Ovalau, but also the entire Lomaiviti Province, providing socioeconomic benefits to the people in the region for more than five decades. It’s truly become a pillar of this community, and it’s a pillar that my Government proudly supports –– and, as we see today, that support will continue in new and innovative ways.”