[Source: Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications/ Facebook]

A range of initiatives have been outlined aimed at revitalizing the construction industry, contributing to economic growth, and addressing the pressing need for affordable housing across the nation.

This was highlighted by Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali during the Construction Industry Council conference.

Ali says with the nation facing rapid urbanization and a growing youth demographic, the demand for affordable housing has significantly increased.

He says the housing sector’s contribution to Fiji’s GDP has grown from 4.2 percent in 2011 to 5.6 percent in 2018.

[Source: Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications/ Facebook]

The PS says to continue this momentum, the government is prioritizing eco-friendly and sustainable building solutions.

“Through a Public-Private Partnership project, the Government and the International Finance Corporation are working towards the goal of providing affordable, high-quality housing options. A total of 266 acres has been identified and developed across the Central and Western Divisions, which will supply 3,000 climate-resilient, Category 5 cyclone-compliant housing units. This project aligns with Fiji’s priorities of enhancing environmental resilience while addressing the urgent housing needs of our people.”

Ali adds that to streamline construction processes and improve efficiency, the government is developing the Building Permits Approval Subsystem which will be launched next year.

He says BPAS will consolidate services from eight agencies into a single workflow, reducing administrative delays and improving project timelines.