Fiji Roads Authority’s Game-Changer: Outsourcing for Better Infrastructure Management

The Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) is taking significant measures to improve how it manages major infrastructure projects by hiring external consultants to supervise key contracts. Apisai Ketenilagi, the Chief Executive of the FRA, explained that internal constraints have hindered their capability to effectively handle large-scale projects, prompting this strategic change.

Ketenilagi emphasized the need for a dedicated external supervision team to ensure projects are completed on schedule and within budget. He remarked, “That’s why we really have to engage an external consultant, not within our FRA, but externally to assist us in the managing of the project so that it can be managed efficiently and effectively according to the timeline and within the budget.” This decision follows past experiences where attempts to manage significant projects internally led to operational inefficiencies, as staff struggled to balance everyday responsibilities with extensive development tasks.

By outsourcing project supervision, the FRA aims to enhance project execution and uphold stringent monitoring, thereby ensuring that infrastructure improvements align with their intended objectives. This aligns with ongoing discussions about the effectiveness of the FRA’s management of existing infrastructure and the necessity for better accountability and transparency in public resource allocation.

These recent developments come at a time when there have been heightened calls for the FRA to pivot its focus towards maintaining existing roads alongside new constructions, as pointed out by critics including the Minister for Public Works, Ro Filipe Tuisawau. Addressing both the management of new projects and the upkeep of existing infrastructure could significantly contribute to improved road safety and economic efficiency throughout Fiji.

The positive steps taken by the FRA to engage external expertise reflect an understanding of the complexities of infrastructure management. With the right strategies in place, there is hope for more effective project management, leading to better infrastructure outcomes for the people of Fiji.