Government Policy: What to Expect

Top architect enlisted to work out modern municipalities for Fiji

Anumber of key Government policies, which will be rolled out over the next four years, is set to change the face of daily travel in towns and cities, amongst other things, in the country. Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has revealed a number of these policies Fijians will see rolled out over the coming months and years. Government has enlisted the assistance of the man who was the main architect of modern Singapore – Liu Thai Ker – to work out modern municipalities for Fiji.

Some policies to be expected:

Dedicated bus lanes between SuvaNausori and later in the Western Division. This will mean during peak hours, one lane on the Suva-Nausori corridor will be for buses only. Have car parks along the Suva-Nausori corridor where people would be able to park their cars and take the buses to work. This will also counter any traffic issues.

Have new birth registrations through mobile phones

Within six months, people will be able to pay for their birth certificates online and print it.

Work on setting up a system where workers could be paid through their mobile phones. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said there were a number of workers still paid cash for their work and there was a possibility that the employees’ Fiji National Provident Fund contribution was not made.

Focus on suburbs and each suburb to have their own markets and bus stands.

On Housing:

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that there was a misconception about housing areas in Fiji. Where low-cost housing blocks had been set up, people’s private investment in real estate would not see much appreciation in their value. He explained this was because of the thinking that those areas were not good neighbourhoods.

He said that such thinking needed to change. Giving an example of Singapore, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum explained that stratatype apartments were the way to go. The apartments would hold a 99-year-lease and in one apartment block, houses on different levels would have different price tags. He said people in Fiji needed to start owning their first homes earlier and such stratatype apartments could be the answer. He said as peoples’ income and family grew, they could also then sell off their apartments and look at purchasing bigger apartments or a house on its own.

This model is also very successful in Australia as well as Singapore.

He said he had a conversation with Mr Liu where he informed the master architect planner that Fiji had a very young population and that more than 50 per cent of our population was below the age of 40.

Mr Liu told the Attorney-General that this also meant that soon Fiji would have a large number of elderly people. He said this meant, people would need their vegetable markets and bus stands closer to home instead of the current model Fiji has – one big market and one big bus stand in every town.