PLANS to introduce long-term and short-term economic activities to people in the Lau Group will help curb the rural to urban drift, says Lau Provincial Council chairperson Ilisoni Taoba.
“We have limited resources and we need to get the maximum output of those resources.”
He said this year districts in the Lau Group were advised to plant sandalwood as part of a long-term economic investment plan.
“We are trying to ensure that districts must have their own individual sandalwood programs and they will be assisted through the Ministry of Forests which will put in nurseries for each division. This will make it easier for them to collect their seeds from,” he said.
Mr Taoba stated there were plans to develop the provinces and curb the rural to urban drift by bringing education closer to the province and having economic programs.
“We have a vocational college in Lakeba and we are also discussing ways that we can work together with Government to ensure that programs offered at our technical college meet the industry standards.
“Our children, who have dropped out from school, can attend this vocational school instead of coming into Suva,” he said.
