‘Government playing catch-up game to fix infrastructure’

GOVERNMENT is playing a catch-up game to fix and upgrade old infrastructure.

In light of the thousands of Suva residents affected by the water cuts caused by damaged Water Authority of Fiji treatment plants, Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said this was all the more reason for development partners to help Fiji.

“If you look at the investments we’ve made in the infrastructure or the lack of it is now showing up,” said Prof Prasad.

“Any government would not have neglected that.

“Unfortunately, it was neglected and what we are trying to do now is to catch up and given the extreme weather patterns and extreme rainfall, flooding and the damage this is doing to infrastructure especially to old infrastructure is going to cost Government a significant amount of money.”

He said for now they were focused on providing immediate solutions.

“We are focused at not only remedying some of these immediately so that water services are restored.

“We really feel for the people who are not going to have water for the next one or two days until WAF is able to fix a major damage to the pipes as a result of landslide.

“What this brings home to us as a country is that we should set up a working group on climate finance that has been built particularly for water, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools – these ought to be climate resilient infrastructure.”

Prof Prasad added that Government’s upcoming national budget would be focused on improving old infrastructure.

“Some of the basics, water, rural roads, rural infrastructure such as small bridges and not only in the rural areas but also in the urban areas.”