NADI should not be declared a city while its long-standing flooding problems remain unresolved, says Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Lawrence Kumar.
Mr Kumar raised the concerns during a stakeholder consultation on the proposed Nadi City Declaration, questioning the urgency of the move without basic infrastructure in place.
“The main point that we have raised is the infrastructure, and the question that we have asked is, what is the rush?” he said.
“We need to have basic infrastructure in place for Nadi to be declared a city.”
Mr Kumar said the Nadi Flood Alleviation Project had been discussed for the past 15 to 20 years, but decisive action had yet to be taken.
He said the same questions continued to be raised during annual Government budget consultations, while timelines and cost estimates changed.
Mr Kumar said he was surprised to hear the project could now cost between $900million and $1billion.
He said previous estimates had ranged from $200million to $300million before increasing to $400million.
He warned that continued delays could leave the project stuck in the planning phase, while its rising cost could become a significant burden on the national economy.
Mr Kumar said Fiji’s gross domestic product was about $12billion, meaning a $1billion project would represent roughly one-twelfth of the economy.
He questioned whether the Government would eventually consider such a substantial investment worthwhile if the project continued to be delayed.
Mr Kumar said flood mitigation and essential infrastructure should be prioritised before Nadi was declared a city.
Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa said the proposal had the blessings of Nadi’s chiefs and the Government.
