Navua, Seaqaqa, Keyasi, Nabouwalu and Taveuni could soon be officially designated towns as the Ministry of Local Government is actively involved in upgrading and developing these areas.
This was confirmed by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Seema Sharma.
She said the ministry was focused on establishing essential infrastructure and amenities in these areas.
“The first project we’re working on is at least getting the passenger terminal for the Nabouwalu Port ready,” Ms Sharma said.
“And the other phase is obviously looking at the town centre development.
“That has been on the cards for a while, but we’ve started working on it now.”
Ms Sharma stated while progressing with the development work, the ministry would be mindful of traffic congestion, underscoring collaboration with the Department of Town and Country Planning.
“Keyasi is also on the cards and so is Seaqaqa.
“We’re trying to work with at least getting the market sorted out first and then working towards a town development because what happens is you start moving services out of the city centre, so you sort of defray the congestion.”
Ms Sharma added that the ministry would be involved in extensive consultations and site visits to ensure a well-planned town-centre development.
