Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel told Parliament yesterday that the Public Works Department (PWD) and Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) will coexist and collaborate to improve the nation’s roading infrastructure.
Speaking during parliamentary debate on FRA’s annual report, Mr. Immanuel said the government’s decision to re-establish the PWD was not to replace the FRA but to strengthen the delivery of road works across both urban and rural areas.
“FRA will take primary responsibility for the maintenance and upgrade of Fiji’s national road network, including existing and expanding urban roads,” Mr. Immanuel said.
“The PWD, which has been recently established by the government, will focus on rural roads and infrastructure. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, both FRA and PWD will coexist and collaborate more closely to deliver improved roading infrastructure across Fiji.”
Mr. Immanuel outlined several measures already underway within the FRA to strengthen oversight and accountability in project implementation.
“FRA has set up multiple layers of inspection, audits and technical verification, and defined key internal roles to manage maintenance and capital works,” he explained.
He added that additional work programs were being rolled out, including vegetation control, continuation of small zone contracts, and importantly, asset valuation—a process that had been missing for years.
“If you look through our financial statements, you can see that our assets are not well valued. FRA has issued a request for proposal for the valuation of its road infrastructure assets. The tender closed on October 25, and the valuation process is now underway,” Mr. Immanuel said.
