1458 building permits in process to be issued
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we still have 1458 building permits in process to be issued, which means investor interest in Fiji still remains, says Minister for Trade Faiyaz Koya.
As the building and construction sector grows in Fiji, he said it is important to keep up with high standards and high quality buildings. The Department of National Trade Measurements and Standards has a brake check and have developed relevant building materials standards which ensures that the building material are fit for purpose and local conditions. “There are over 24 odd building related standards adopted as Fijian specifications and some of the building material standards that were in place are for materials such as roofing coils, cyclonic screws and steel reinforcing materials such as deformed bars and welded measures, et cetera,” Mr Koya said. “These mentioned materials are actually critical components of any building that is being built whether it is a home or whether it is a multistorey building.”
He highlighted that since Cyclone Winston, the ministry has shifted its focus to ensuring that the Fijian public and private sectors are fully aware of the current standards for building materials.
One of the major causes of the destruction of buildings is non-compliance with the Fijian National Building Code.
To minimise this the ministry together with the World Bank Group have developed a guideline for improving building safety and resilience for new single-storey houses and schools in rural areas throughout Fiji.
In addition, the ministry has issued 80 import licences for cyclone exclusion and 605 licences for roofing coils.