Companies are experiencing considerable financial strain due to lengthy delays in environmental impact assessments, according to Vinesh Chand, manager of Nivis Sawmill. Mr. Chand pointed out that the approval process for these assessments can extend from six months to a year, requiring businesses to keep staff on project sites without work during the waiting period.
“The issues lie with the timeline; it takes a considerable amount of time to get the assessment approved,” he stated. He emphasized that companies must absorb these overhead costs themselves.
“We are forced to maintain staff at project locations despite there being no work as we wait for the government to finalize the assessment,” he added.
In response, Mere Bainimarama, principal environment officer at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, explained that the timeframes for assessments can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the environmental projects.
“It requires thorough checks and balances to ensure compliance with various legislations,” she noted. Bainimarama mentioned that straightforward projects, like building construction, can be approved within a month, while more intricate cases, such as gravel extraction or mining, will require additional time due to necessary evaluations and stakeholder notifications.
“For simple construction projects, it’s fairly easy for us to approve within a month. However, for gravel extraction or mining, the processes involved necessitate a longer timeframe,” she explained.
Additionally, she revealed that companies are charged $255 for an environmental impact assessment.