A substantial amount of funding has been approved for the construction of Queen Elizabeth Drive in Nasese, Suva, despite concerns over a lack of thorough assessment, as revealed by Minister for Public Works and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau.
An audit conducted from 2021 to 2023 highlighted several irregularities, estimating contract variations to be between $300 and $400 million, raising significant concerns, according to Ro Filipe. The renovation of Queen Elizabeth Drive, which took nearly four years, exceeded its initial completion timeline of one and a half years and incurred considerable cost overruns. The minister confirmed that an investigation is currently underway regarding these issues.
Originally, $25 million was allocated for the project in 2019. Ro Filipe expressed concerns about the high total cost and suggested that the project could have been completed for a lower amount, indicating that the excess funds could have been redirected to other underfunded areas.
Atunaisa Nayago, Chairman of the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA), noted that the project’s costs were based on its design and were managed through a consulting firm. He mentioned that the road was constructed on resilient infrastructure, elevated one meter above the original level as part of a climate resilience initiative. While some delays were expected due to this elevation, Nayago reassured that the actual costs were well-documented and audited.
The project also involved building a new bridge and executing land reclamation work, extending approximately 200 meters in length and 34 meters in width, which may have environmental implications as well as effects on coastal resilience. Ro Filipe emphasized the need for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and compliance with regulations for all projects before implementation.
Concerns about the contract award process and adherence to proper bidding protocols have also been raised. Ro Filipe stressed the importance of effective monitoring of contract performance to ensure projects remain within budget and adhere to specifications, stating that inadequate oversight can lead to cost variances.
He highlighted that lessons learned from this project would inform future policies, procedures, and compliance practices, particularly pertaining to tendering, contractor evaluations, and contract monitoring. Findings indicated that significant variation amounts were authorized by the board without necessary evaluations, often through expedited processes. These matters are under investigation, prompting a thorough review and update of internal procedures at the FRA to avoid similar issues in the future.
Nayago confirmed that some construction delays stemmed from challenges related to land acquisition for the project. The investigation into the allegations of inflated costs is now in the hands of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).