Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says $15 million out of the $2.5 billion allocated by the Fiji Roads Authority towards capital works will be used to connect rural communities to economic centres and key public services.

“My government has been steadily working to connect these communities over the last several years,” he said while speaking to villagers in Seaqaqa, Macuata.

“Bridges provide a safe means of access to schools and higher learning institutions for the youngest members of our communities.”

He said if past administrations shared the same vision as the FijiFirst Government in terms of establishing robust rural roads, communities would have been already been connected to economic centres.

“Instead, thousands of Fijians have had to endure decades of painstaking, unsafe travel across waterways just to get to a doctor or exorbitant fuel prices just to take their produce to the market so they could earn a basic living.

“We are righting that historic injustice with every resilient road we cover, jetty we construct and bridge that we build.

“It is our commitment alone that will allow all these isolated villages, whom we’ve heard directly from, to get connected.

“They deserve to be afforded the same right to progress and equity that any Fijian living in an urban area enjoys.”

Mr Bainimarama said communities had security and connection to the rest of the country through a robust road network.