Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says people should know that government is here for them, especially in these uncertain times.
Bainimarama highlighted this while officiating at the opening of the new Tamusua Nursing Station and the newly-installed solar freezer in Yasawa today.
He has pleaded to the villagers to take comfort knowing that government is working diligently to bring back that valuable economic activity throughout Fiji, in a way that is safe and healthy for Fijians and our visitors alike.
He says that he will be announcing more on this in the coming days, including on when schools and other venues will reopen.
Bainimarama says for generations, the villagers have relied on the bounty of the sea to not only feed their families, but generate income that has allowed them to tap into its economic potential.
He says while fishing is a way of life in many of Fiji’s coastal communities, those Fijians living in our most remote maritime areas like Yasawa have historically faced a disadvantage and this is because of a lack of cold storage units and ice plants.
Bainimarama says thanks to the Ministry of Fisheries, they have found a way to solve that longstanding problem in Tamusua and in maritime communities all throughout Fiji with solar freezer units.
He says the villages of the Districts of Nacula, Malakati, and Matacawalevu immediately saw the value of this investment when it was proposed, and each pitched in a share of the total cost to make it happen.
Bainimarama says knowing that they invested in their future, government was proud to make up the difference.
He also says gone are the days when the villagers of Tamusua in Yasawa-i-Rara-i-Yata had to travel over half an hour by boat to seek basic medical care in Teci.
Bainimarama says a $300,000 project will have an immediate impact on the health of the communities it serves which includes 258 people from the villages of Tamusua, Nabukeru, Navutoa, and the children of the nearby primary school.
He says the time and expense of getting to the nursing station before posed a difficult decision for people and at any time they felt unwell, they were left wondering if the situation was truly dire enough to make that journey.
Bainimarama says that is a dilemma that no Fijian should be faced with.
He says now with a facility to call their own, any discouragement or delay that they have previously experienced is in the past.
The Prime Minister has urged the villagers to not let this opportunity go to waste and for them to take advantage of this newfound access by taking ownership over their health and well-being.
Images: Office of the Prime Minister]
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