Govt to fund $11M Phase 1 of Keiyasi Town project

Travelling almost 53 kilometres to Sigatoka Town to sell their produce will be a thing of the past for the people of Navosa after the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Keiyasi Town Development project.

The development of Keiyasi Town is one of four designated growth centres in Fiji.

In addition to Keiyasi in Navosa, the other three are Nabouwalu and Seaqaqa in Vanua Levu and Korovou (Tailevu) in Viti Levu.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka acknowledged the foresight and generosity of the chiefs and people of Keiyasi, tikina o Namataku, and the landowning unit of Namoilevu, who have offered support for the project by their decision to give up more than 9 hectares of their land to be leased as the site of the new Keiyasi Town.

He says it is also a happy occasion for the chiefs and the people of Navosa, for Keiyasi Town will open up a lot more services and opportunities in this remote part of the province.

Rabuka says the development of new towns is part of the Ministry of Local Government’s urban planning and management programme, where growth centres are properly planned and developed before they are established as towns.

He adds this is very important, for such towns will diversify the trade and business network, resulting in economic growth that contributes to the rise in the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

He further adds that such new towns like Keiyasi will open up jobs for the people of Navosa, ultimately leading to the improvement of their living standards. The Prime Minister says Phase 1 of the project will see civil works carried out on the site before phase 2 kicks in, which will see the construction of civic buildings and public amenities like the market, bus stand and public parks.

He says part of the plan is the development of 27 commercial lots and 4 industrial sites.

Rabuka says the cost of Phase 1 is estimated at $11 million, which will be funded by the People’s Coalition Government.

He adds the contractor, Construction Equipment Hire Limited of Lautoka, together with the Project Manager, West-Eng Consulting Ltd, also from Lautoka, hope to complete this 1st phase of work in about 18 months.

He says it is remarkable that local companies with local expertise are taking the lead in this project, and he congratulated the two locally-owned companies for winning the bid to develop Keiyasi Town.