Planning crucial for vibrant towns and cities
WELL planned towns and cities must provide integrated and inclusive solutions, with quality and modern living to its citizens. In stating this during the 2022 World Town Planning Day, Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport permanent secretary, Shaheen Ali, said that planning “is an everyday calculus to respond to evolving and growing challenges of society”.
With this year’s theme being “Think Global, Plan Local”, planners and policy makers are urged to have a wider vision.
“Planning must be for the longterm and today, we need a plan that considers our future needs – not just 5, or just 10 years down the track – but 50 years ahead,” Mr Ali said.
“Fiji is not “an island alone” - it is part of a global landscape so we need to take inspiration globally and make it our own,” he added.
“We must leverage groundbreaking technologies, to make our cities modern and green and aspire to be the most sustainable cities in the world like Tokyo, Copenhagen and Berlin.”
“We entered into a long-term planning framework in partnership with the Singapore Government which consists of a 50-year Master
Plan for major cities and towns in Viti Levu,” he added.
Mr Ali said that this master plan will provide a broad template for Fijian towns and cities to develop individual town schemes.
“The master plan process is making us and agencies think of the future of economic sectors and what is required to build smart, sustainable and resilient cities and towns,” he said.
“This also means modernisation and simplification of systems; therefore, digitalisation of applications and approvals is critical, and as such, the ministry has set a plan for a 24-month digitalisation project.”
“As part of the reforms, we have launched the trial phase of online application for starting a business and in 2023, starting a business application and approvals will be fully-automated,” he added.
Mr Ali said that MCTTT was currently reviewing and revising procedures and policies to make processes simple for applicants in terms of obtaining construction permits.
“We are committed to ensuring that the amended laws take into account the streamlining of online approval processes, emphasis on formulating inclusive and sustainable strategic long-term plans and making Fiji’s planning system more user friendly,” he added.