Caption: Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka, staff members of the Ministry with the delegation from the European Union (EU) and villagers of Beqa during a visit to the island last week.

SUVA – Students of BeqaYanuca Secondary School in the province of Rewa now have access to clean and safe drinking water and an improver and safer route to get to school daily.

This follows the handover of their very own ecological purification water system (EPS) and footpath by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka.

Minister Ditoka visited the villages of Raviravi and Nawaisomo in Beqa last Friday to formally handover the projects and also meet and speak with the villagers on Beqa Island.

He also commissioned the Beqa Nursing Station Access Project during the visit.

The projects were completed by the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management under its Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) and High Risk Water Programmes at a total cost of more than $89,000.

“It is the hope of our Coalition Government that we will work together to support the various developments implemented by the various agencies of Government on the island of Beqa,” Hon. Ditoka stated while handing over the projects.

The school access project involved the construction of a footpath from the landing where the students catch the boat to the school. The project will enable students to travel to and from school safely especially during the rainy weather.

“It is very important that we see to the needs of our children for the betterment of the nation.”

Minister Ditoka also reiterated that the Coalition Government was committed to improving services at the island’s nursing station as peoples’ lives were important.

Caption: Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka, and Head of delegation for the European Union (EU) to the Pacific H.E. Mr. Sujiro Seam at the newly commissioned access project to the Beqa Yanuca Secondary School.

-ENDS-

The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. We coordinate and implement the Fiji Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural sector. We also spearhead disaster risk reduction initiatives at national and sub-national level including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We have offices for each of Fiji’s 14 provinces including Rotuma, leading the Fiji Government’s rural development and disaster risk management operations.

Follow us on Twitter @MRMDFiji @FijiNDMO| Facebook: @developmentfiji

For press enquiries: Aqela Susu, MRMDDM, Tel. +679 3216456/+679 9985670,

Email: aqela.susu@govnet.gov.fj/susuaqela@gmail.com