Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad has provided an update on the Termite Control Assistance Grant, which addresses damage caused by Asian Subterranean Termites in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Prof Prasad says a total of 1,327 applications were received by the Lautoka City Council.

Of these, 448 applications met the program criteria and have been processed, receiving subsidies of $5,000 or $2,000, totaling $2.2 million.
Among these, 439 applications for damages below $30,000 were approved, amounting to $2.195 million.

For damages between $30,000 and $50,000, only nine applications were successful.

Currently, 327 applications have been verified and are scheduled for payment in the coming months, while 160 applications are pending verification.

Additionally, 392 applications require further information from applicants, and 54 applications were deemed unsuccessful due to reasons such as duplicate submissions, insufficient documentation, or lack of evidence of AST infestation.

The Minister says the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) and the Lautoka City Council have provided administrative support and verified claims before payments were made.

“To assist affected households with relief packages and in addition to continue with the efforts to minimise the spread of AST, a sum of $2 million is provided in the 2024-2025 financial year programme. As part of the implementation mechanism, the Termite Taskforce was established to help foster Government’s effort in assisting households affected by AST infestation.”

Beyond financial assistance, Prof Prasad states that the government is implementing a termite baiting system designed to control infestations.

He says system deploys “tasty baits” to attract and manage termites before they can damage homes or businesses.

The initiative aims to assist approximately 1,000 households and is set to begin next month with a selected service provider already in contract negotiations.

To further strengthen termite control efforts, BAF has been boosted with 12 additional officers, a new vehicle for compliance and a grant for establishing BAF offices in Nadi, Ba and Nakasi.

Expansion plans also include Labasa.