Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has voiced his strong opinion that the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) should be dissolved.

While advocating for the full return of road development and maintenance responsibilities to the Public Works Department, he says that reinstating the PWD is a key promise in the People’s Alliance manifesto and urged ministers to prioritize this initiative as part of their agenda.

Rabuka believes this shift will enhance accountability and efficiency in managing Fiji’s road infrastructure.

He wants private contractors currently working on roads phased out, with their machinery integrated into the PWD.

“I do not believe FRA should be around for any longer, it should be back to the Public Works Department. The PWD can have contractors working for the road.”

The government has been working on slowly bringing the PWD back to life, however with it FRA also remains.

Rabuka says Workers from the current FRA contractors could also be absorbed into the department, ensuring that the workforce remains stable while transitioning to a government-controlled entity.

The Prime Minister says that even when the PWD was fully operational in the past, the department still contracted out jobs to private enterprises or government entities like the military when needed.

His vision is to restore PWD as a key player in infrastructure development while ensuring efficiency and continuity in public works projects.