People urged to come with their concerns to the FMA forums in Savusavu tonight and in Labasa tomorrow night

People in Savusavu and Labasa are invited to attend the historic Town Hall Fijian Media Association Meet the Public and the Press forums featuring senior cabinet and government officials in Savusavu tonight and in Labasa tomorrow night.

Communications Fiji Limited News Director and Fijian Media Association Executive, Vijay Narayan says this is about getting the people’s voices heard, and decision makers like cabinet ministers and government officials to be in the same room to answer direct questions from the people.

He says it is a historic week for Fiji as the the first ever Meet the Public and the Press takes place in Vanua Levu with all the media platforms providing coverage on the two sessions.

Narayan says we have had the Editors Forum in the past, with the last one being a forum with the late former Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase on the planned Reconciliation Bill in 2006.

Communications Fiji Limited the parent company of fijivillage, LegendFM, FM96, VITIFM, Navtarang and Radio Sargam, The Fiji Sun, The Fiji Times, Mai TV, Fiji Live, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, and Fiji TV are collaborating under the Fiji Media Association umbrella to host forums in Savusavu at 7 tonight at Hotel Grand And Epic in Savusavu Town, and in Labasa at 7pm tomorrow at the Fiji Football Association Conference Room.

Stanley Simpson, FMA General Secretary says never before have our major news organisations set aside commercial competition to work together for the greater good of democratic dialogue and public engagement.

This extraordinary technical collaboration sees camera operators, sound engineers, graphic artists, video editors and production coordinators working as one unified crew across company lines, achieving production values and coverage depth for public good.

The events are supported by the United States Embassy in Fiji.

Some cabinet ministers and government officials will be in the session in Savusavu tonight.

Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad, other cabinet ministers and government officials will be present in the session in Labasa tomorrow night.

They are expected to address economic development strategies, infrastructure improvements and regional connectivity, government services accessibility in rural areas, education and healthcare delivery, tourism development opportunities, and agricultural support programmes.

For Ministers and Ministries that may not be able to be physically present, the media will try to call them live during the show to respond to pressing queries from the public or address through follow up stories.

The events will be broadcast live simultaneously across all participating media platforms, with coordinated digital platforms, social media channels, and broadcast schedules ensuring unprecedented reach and accessibility for Fijian audiences nationwide.

The Fijian Media Association expects to host similar town halls in future across Fiji.

You can catch the coverage of the Meet the Public and the Press forums on our website, fijivillage.