Repairs to Fiji electricity, water and roads priority
Updated
Fiji's interim government says it will be some time before it can assess the full extent of the damage caused by the floods.
While it welcomes the help given by the international community, the interim government feels some could have done more. In the meantime, its priorities are for extensive repairs to water pipes, electricity and the roads.
Geraldine Coutts
Interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
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KHAIYUM: Well a lot of the areas Geraldine, we can't really carry out a proper assessment, because some of the areas are still under water and the waters in some of the areas are receding quite slowly.
Nadi town now I understand the waters have receded almost completely out of the town area, so a lot of the shop owners, the retailers have gone into their shops and started cleaning.
But as you would expect from a flood of this magnitude, that there has been quite a bit of damage done to the water and electricity amenities, so it will require a bit of time. For example, the electricity meters on individual premises have all been washed away or damaged, so they all need to be re-equipped, some high voltage underground cables have been exposed because of the flooding, so they all need to be fixed up also before you can energise those areas and the water pipes, there has been landslides etc, so all of that needs to be put onstream, so the government's main focus at this particular point in time is getting the infrastructure, the amenities up and running and the three priorities are water, electricity and the roads, because a lot of the bridges, for example, in the rural areas have been washed away.
There have been a few places where people have become isolated in terms of their accessibility to shops etc. So we're trying to essentially at the moment ensure the various evacuation centres are functioning properly and the people are not in danger.
We have had a few deaths and some of them have been because people have not necessarily heeded warning and have gone out swimming in places where they should not have.
Other than that, we are just now hopeful that the depression has basically passes over Fiji very quickly, so we can get back to the cleaning and doing all the various repairs and repairs to the infrastructure.
COUTTS: Well, according to the forecast, there is going to be another storm coming through on Saturday, but we won't dwell on that. What kind of assistance are you calling for now? Now I know Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Tonga have all offered money, or given money. What kind of assistance are you calling for now from the international community?
KHAIYUM: Well, I think a lot of the assistance obviously is required for some basic food provisions etc. in some of the areas.
But I think more so in the long term basis, the assistance for the infrastructure repairs that's required. For example, we were informed by the Fiji Electricity Authority that there is a shortage of electricians now, because we need, if we want to expedite the process of getting electricity back in Nadi, we need a whole heap of electricians going on and working to get the meters up and running.
The various sub stations went underwater, so the equipment has been damaged. That would be quite useful in terms of getting the bridges up and working, that's more important for us.
We have taken various sort of measures. For example, today I had a meeting with the Suva Chamber of Commerce and they have offered their assistance to the other chambers of commerce and we're trying to see how we can facilitate any assistance to the individual businesses, by way of providing various support services.
But, for example, the Agricultural Marketing Authority has already started a program where they are going around to the rural areas and buying the various, for example, the root crops that are normally are used for export or that can be sold locally, rather than the produce lying in the ground and rotting away.
They are actually buying it off them. So the farmers get some income and that produce is actually used for both the local market and the export market, so there is actually no shortage of food also on the shelves.
The Ministry of Agriculture obviously is quite focused in terms of providing assistance to the farmers in terms of you know seedlings and root crop seedlings and crops and what have you so they can get back to farming again, that's very important.
COUTTS: You talked about very practical things. What else can be done in the immediate future for the people who are now homeless?
KHAIYUM: Well, we for example the school term is going to start next week, on Tuesday, has now been deferred for another week. The Ministry of Education has said that children don't need to come into school with their school uniforms, what most schools have here cost money, so they can come in their mufties, so these are some practical solutions that have been provided.
The Superannuation Fund I understand will make an announcement that those who have been affected by the flood can draw up a particular amount from the superannuation fund.
But obviously we need to do quite a bit of work in terms of providing the assistance to those who have been displaced or their homes have been damaged.
Again I think what most people are saying is that they want access to the basic amenities.
I think what is also noteworthy is that the resilience shown by a lot of people in terms of, as far as this adversity is concerned.
There have been many positive stories, many people have collaborated together, to provide assistance.
For example the Hotel Association has been working very closely with us. We have provided the RFMF, The Republic of Fiji Military Forces, for example, have provided their trucks to cart Australian tourists from high flood areas to the airport, so they could get the airport and take their planes and leave the country and the police have all worked together. So it has been very good.
There have been a lot of positive stories of the resilience obviously shown by the people of Fiji and I think it also goes to show that we all need to handle a lot of these problems ourselves.
Because some of the assistance, we welcome the assistance that has been given, but obviously some could have done a bit more.
COUTTS: When you say some could have done a bit more, what do you mean?
KHAIYUM: If you look at Tonga's given us $100,000, New Zealand has given us $85,000. If you compare Tonga's GDP and the population size to New Zealand, there is quite a size difference. Australia has given $150,000 I understand, so Tonga has been very generous, comparatively.
