Villagers in Gau have told Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu they want the current government to continue in office for another three terms, the minister said in parliament this week — a striking endorsement that Bulitavu used to underline the popularity of on-the-ground infrastructure work across Fiji’s rural and maritime communities.
Speaking in response to the President’s address, Bulitavu said the message from villages like those on Gau was not about social media debates but concrete improvements citizens can feel. “Villages and communities across Fiji are pleased with progress on the ground — access roads, farm roads, solar freezers and boreholes,” he said, adding that these developments are what communities value “not the online debates led by keyboard warriors.” He said coordinated support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Lands and other agencies has helped improve livelihoods and connect remote settlements to markets and services.
Bulitavu welcomed an integrated review of the Native Land Administration and iTaukei institutions, saying the exercise would inform the government’s National Rural Development Policy. That review, he suggested, will guide future investments in core rural infrastructure: rural roads, community jetties, water and energy projects and expanded digital connectivity, all aimed at making rural and maritime areas “integral to national development, not peripheral.”
Disaster risk reduction and climate resilience remain central to the ministry’s work, Bulitavu said. He outlined ongoing programmes to strengthen early warning systems, build and refurbish evacuation centres, and boost community preparedness in vulnerable areas. He highlighted partial relocation projects in the northern and western divisions — naming Macuata, Nadroga and Naitasiri — that have been supported through the Community Climate Adaptation Fund to move at-risk households to safer ground as sea-level rise and extreme weather intensify.
Economic and human-capital measures were also emphasised. Bulitavu pointed to skills training, entrepreneurship support and improved access to finance aimed at women, youth and other vulnerable groups, which the ministry says are designed to translate infrastructure gains into sustainable livelihoods. Agriculture, fisheries and maritime infrastructure were flagged as central drivers of growth for rural Fiji.
A new shipbuilding facility is in the pipeline, Bulitavu added, intended to develop local maritime skills and retain value in the islands’ marine economy. That initiative will be complemented by training programmes at Fiji National University to prepare young seafarers for careers in the industry, he said, aligning technical education with anticipated job opportunities.
Bulitavu framed the government’s rural agenda as consistent with the President’s vision of “a confident, inclusive and resilient Fiji,” stressing that tangible upgrades and climate adaptation measures are the priorities communities are asking for now. The minister’s comments mark the latest development in the administration’s push to showcase visible delivery in rural areas ahead of wider policy reforms and signal strong grassroots backing from some village constituencies.
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