Transcript
MOSESE BULITAVU: It's the effectiveness of their work. They work like a consultancy board that then sub-contracts the actual tender, the actual work, to other contracted companies. But the issue there is that they received this large sum of money from the budget. For last year it was nearly 600 million [Fiji dollars] and they give those monies out to the contractors who do the work. But what people are complaining about is the condition of our roads.
KORO VAKA'UTA: So the contractors are not doing a good job?
MB: The contractors, well, we do not know whether they are receiving the money they need to complete the work or there is other better options that could have been done to improve the roads.
KV: From what I understand you believe that maybe the former Public Works Department was doing a better job.
MB: It was doing a better job because it had depots around Fiji with only 60 million, although they were under budgeted and under funded, they were able to cover the whole of Fiji and the roads. So FRA, there are no specific depots in certain areas. They are concerned in only building roads and repairing works. That's why they cannot cover the whole area.
KV: The Infrastructure Minister has said that possibly there needs to be some strengthening of the FRA because it is only about five years old, is this only a part of the growing pains? Do we need to give it a chance to settle down?
MB: Probably, but we are involved, public money is involved here. Probably what the minister can do is conduct a review and to look at the viability of FRA, whether another, a new body which is more controlled by the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Infrastructure. That they are able to control. That they themselves disperse the money and it's under control. Rather than giving a lump sum to a particular company, the FRA, and after the FRA deals on a contract basis with the contractors. They don't have any control over it.
KV: You have mentioned that they often just bring in expatriates to do the jobs as well, don't they?
MB: Yeah probably that is one of the cases. Given that this is the Fiji First Government, what they call themselves. But it seems like it is 'Fiji Last', that the locals are not given the first chance. They are last to be considered. The expatriates seem to be considered first.
KV: So what do you want to happen?
MB: There should be a proper mixture of locals and the engineers from overseas, which we used to have in the Public Works Department. So the knowledge and skills and all the training attained by our engineers that come to New Zealand or Australia for further studies. The locals, our human resources, especially in the engineering sector, they are developed also.
