Communication priority
ENHANCING telecommunications capability in Kadavu will be a priority for the Government in light of continuous growth in economic activities on the island, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica.
Mr Kamikamica said a realisation reached during his three-day cooperative and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) tour was the need to quickly enhance telecommunications on the island to allow better communication between locals and government officials on the ground.
“Telecommunications is probably one that will open up other opportunities. One of the clear messages that we’ve been getting over the last couple of days is we need to open up communications because the roads are starting to get built, and so communications just means that there’s an ability to communicate with the arms of government here in Vunisea, and then try and support whatever initiatives are happening on the ground,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“Potentially, Starlink will have a function, particularly for the remote areas. But for some of these areas, they probably just need a better network coverage, and the ministry team is actually looking very closely at how to roll it out.
“My intent is to focus on the Eastern Division first and try and roll out a plan for the three maritime provinces and then after that, then we’ll deal with the main two islands.”
Mr Kamikamica said another priority would be government’s support of MSMEs on Kadavu, particularly with the potential he had witnessed during the trip.
“It’s clear that there are some very industrious, innovative individuals in Kadavu getting involved in bakeries, in shops and so there is quite a bit of potential.
“You can see, given what Government is now trying to do with kava and turn it into a genuine billion dollar industry, Kadavu is very much part of that equation.
“And then, of course, the recent initiative by the Ministry of Forestry to start harvesting their forests, that in itself will generate a lot more economic activity for the island.
“So, I think those two areas, if I can at least get the communication sorted out, and then just continue to identify areas where we can collaborate with small to medium enterprises, through cooperatives and other vehicles, that will be a very solid way of continuing to develop Kadavu as an economic hub for the Eastern Division.”