Talks in progress to test waste water to determine the highest drug content areas in Fiji - PM

Following serious concerns regarding the increased prevalence of drugs in Fiji where the country is also being used as a transit point for New Zealand and Australia, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says they have had discussions with New Zealand as Fiji begins to think about how we can establish our rehabilitation centre.

While responding to questions by fijivillage News during a press conference following a discussion with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, Rabuka says cabinet on Tuesday agreed to the strategy for anti-drug and narcotics fight and setting up the machinery to pursue the development of the strategy.

The Prime Minister says it is a big problem where a few weeks ago a year's worth of drug supply to Australia was discovered in Fiji.

He says support is needed in terms of finding out the geographic areas where drugs is in high use by waste water testing to find out the drug content in wastewater.

Rabuka says maybe Fiji could be benefitting from that technology as we develop our strategy here.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon says the issue of drugs is a big challenge as there are forces outside the Pacific that are contributing and Fiji and New Zealand need to stand and work together.

Luxon says he does not doubt both their determinations to push back very strongly on that.