THE use of modern technology such as geographic information systems will not only benefit the sugarcane sector but also aid national development, says acting permanent secretary for the Ministry of Sugar Parmesh Chand.

Speaking at the Fiji Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing User Forum held in Vuda on Tuesday, Mr Chand said using data derived from the digital mapping of rural areas could give Government the information it needed to provide access to better services.

“The vision for Government is to reach out to communities for all the services needed to make lives attractive for them,” he said.

“We want to make staying in villages and settlements conducive for them, so this data can provide to authorities what is lacking in those areas in terms of distance and coverage.

“This is in line with the Constitution which states that every individual or citizen has a right to water, transport and education — using GIS technology will help to provide information on whether these facilities are available to rural dwellers especially.”

More than 70 representatives from Government, NGOs and the sugar industry attended the workshop.