Businesses in Tavua Town are raising concerns regarding drinking in public places and there is a fear of burglaries in the town area.
Tavua/Vatukoula Chamber of Commerce and Industries President, Pravin Anand says a lot of street lights are not working, and there are a lot of dark areas in the town.
He says police patrols are happening and the Chamber of Commerce appreciates it but more is needed during the festive season.
Anand is also calling for the development of the town’s infrastructure in terms of footpaths, streetlights, roads and missing street signs.
He says to attract investors, they need to have proper infrastructure so they are also calling for different incentives and policies to increase investment, specifically for Tavua.
The President further says Tavua contributes significantly to Fiji’s economy in terms of water and gold exports that kept the economy growing during the pandemic and as such Tavua needs to be supported.
He is also urging the Government to upgrade and tarseal Nadarivatu roads to support farmers grow more vegetables and substitute imports like potatoes, carrots, garlic and onions.
He further says Vatia Wharf, which is not operating right now can be upgraded to allow Fiji Water to export their products from Tavua instead of going to Lautoka.
While responding to the comments, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says they will consult the Tavua Chamber of Commerce before the next budget and see how they can support some of the initiatives.
He says they are sensible and positive suggestions from the Chamber.
He agrees that Tavua has a lot of potential and the Government supports the suggestions.
Professor Prasad says he attended Tavua Carnival and he could feel the confidence amongst the community generally.
Meanwhile, the Police Force is yet to provide a comment on the calls made by the businesses.
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