Delays in addressing deteriorating road access in some communities have been linked to staffing shortages, planning gaps and coordination issues.
This has been highlighted to fijivillage News by Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau.
Speaking ahead of the 2026/2027 National Budget announcement on June 26th, Tuisawau acknowledged that many communities have been waiting for a long time for infrastructure upgrades and basic services.
He says while Government has made significant investments in roads, water and rural infrastructure over the past two to three budgets, communication around those developments has not been effective enough.
Ro Filipe says some communities are still facing deteriorating access roads and inadequate utilities, affecting livelihoods, health and safety, particularly for women and children.
The Minister says road maintenance and rural water projects remain priority areas in the ministry’s budget submissions, especially for communities where infrastructure has deteriorated or access remains limited.
Ro Filipe says a task force has been established to identify communities requiring urgent improvements to water systems, including damaged dams and pipelines, while work is also continuing with the Ministry of Agriculture and rural development teams on farm roads and related infrastructure.
When questioned why the delays in addressing some long-standing issues, Tuisawau says staffing challenges, planning weaknesses and coordination problems have contributed to slow implementation.
He says there is also a need to improve how concerns raised through advisory councils and provincial councils are incorporated into Government planning and budget processes.
The Minister adds that while Government’s infrastructure budget utilisation has exceeded 90 percent in recent years, more work is needed to ensure communities see and understand the impact of those investments.
Ro Filipe says Government will continue focusing on roads, water and other basic utilities in what he described as the final months of its current term.
