Opposition MP and Former FijiFirst Minister Jone Usamate says the former government made significant inroads in fixing water infrastructure but as you deliver more and more service, people's expectation of what they are getting from government also increases.
Usamate highlighted this while responding to questions on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan on criticism from people that Fiji’s leaders can make speeches but water issues remain unresolved after 16 years in power, with nearly half of the supply lost through leaking pipes and infrastructure barely holding up under band-aid solutions from the Water Authority of Fiji.
Usamate says he does not think you will find any government or any country in the world where people are 100 percent satisfied with the infrastructure that they have and it is always going to be a challenge the government.
When questioned about what needs to be done to fix the water issue as about 50 percent of what is produced is lost, Usamate says the government needs to have a plan to be able to replace out-of-date infrastructure.
He says this is not something which can be done quickly as it requires funding.
He adds that running a country is always a balancing act because you have to balance these long-term things while addressing small fires that keep popping up every day.
