Ministry develops 48 informal settlements

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The Fiji Muslim League squatter settlement in Nabua, Suva. There are 48 informal settlements presently being developed by the Housing Ministry says the ministry’s projects manager Emosi Raqisia. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU

There are 48 informal settlements presently being developed by the Housing Ministry.

This was revealed by the ministry’s projects manager Emosi Raqisia.

He was responding to a question posed by former assistant health minister Alexander O’Connor, who queried the Housing Ministry on how far they have progressed in addressing the informal settlements in the country.

“It had been around for a long time and my question is how far has the ministry gone in addressing informal settlements,” he asked during the National Housing Policy public consultation held in Lautoka recently.

In response, Mr Raqisia said the formalisation of informal settlements was one of the core programs of the ministry and at the moment, there were 48 informal settlements being developed by the ministry.

“We got four of those informal settlement’s in construction phase, while there is another 19 that are currently in planning phase.”

He added that the development of three informal settlements ha been completed and are in the final stages for issuing of leases to the tenants.

“This is where we are at the moment, in terms of formalisation of the informal sector,” added Mr Raqisia.