As Government presses ahead with plans for a new sugar mill on Viti Levu, questions are now being raised about its possible location, with a site between Rakiraki and Tavua emerging as a likely option.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad said in Parliament last Thursday that tender applications closed last week .
“The new mill may not necessarily be where the old one was,” he said.
“It could be anywhere between Rakiraki and Tavua, which not only supports sugar production but also opens up opportunities for ethanol and other value-added products.”
The sugar mill in Rakiraki was closed and dismantled after Tropical Cyclone Winston.
Since, coming into power, the Coalition government had pledged a new mill in Rakiraki.
Prof. Prasad defended the Government’s timeline and praised Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh for his consistent push to modernise the industry.
“He’s been talking about the need for a new mill from the start and now real progress is being made,” he said.
