ATTORNEY-GENERAL and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says he will “turn on the screws” on hardware companies which are not delivering supplies on time.
The supply and delivery of hardware to affected areas under the Government’s Help for Homes initiative has been an issue with Fijians in areas affected by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston and still living in tents.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said these issues would be fixed when they meet this morning.
“We’ve just got some analysis done that was given to us yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon in respect of which companies have a higher rate of partial delivery or non-delivery or complete delivery.
“So we have arranged a meeting tomorrow morning (today) at nine with all the hardware companies and turn on the screws with those who are slow.
“So we are addressing those issues and we were in fact cognizant of that fact that there was a shortage of supplies but I think now we are obviously talking to them directly to see which ones are the performers and which ones are not and to fix that up very quickly.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the supplies of timber for the rebuilding process were coming from New Zealand while steel was being sourced elsewhere.
“Of course some of the other basic hardware comes from countries like China, but they are not the problem areas.
“The problem areas in fact were as we had highlighted earlier on that the steel comes into Fiji, then it gets corrugated in Fiji.
“The second one was the timber, the third was that the companies making concrete blocks could not keep up with the demand.”
The Government had chosen 10 suppliers to be part of the Help for Homes initiative.
They were Carpenters Hardware, Dayal Sawmillers Ltd, CBS Power Solutions Fiji Ltd, Vinod Patel & Co.Ltd, RC Manubhai & Co.Ltd, Rakiraki Hardware, Local Woods and Hardware Ltd, Kasabias Ltd, Refrigeration Electrical Services Ltd and Haroon’s Hardware.
