CAPTION: New Veinuqa Irish crossing.
1. NEW CROSSING TO CREATE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN NAMOSI – Government’s investment of a $600,000 irish crossing will link four villages in the tikina of Veinuqa, Namosi.
2. CLIMATE TALKS TO ALWAYS INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – CLIMATE change talks should not only look at immediate environmental impacts but strengthen its attitude towards sustainable development in the same context.
3. MINISTRY ADVERTISES LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS – The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs is inviting applications from qualified iTaukei and Rotumans for scholarships tenable at local universities in Semester 2, 2013 for undergraduate and post graduate courses.
1 NEW CROSSING TO CREATE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN NAMOSI
Government’s investment of a $600,000 irish crossing will link four villages in the tikina of Veinuqa, Namosi.
District Commissioner Central, Laisenia Tuitubou said that the four villages (Wainilotulevu, Burotu, Nasoqo and Wainiyavu) will soon have easier access to the Navua market to sell their food crops once road upgrading works are complete.
“This new irish crossing is a result of the previous one that was damaged during the floods last year,” Tuitubou said.
“The crossing will link the remaining villages in the Western part of Namosi.”
The Ministry of Works’ Senior Mechanical Engineer, Tikiko Maiwiriwiri said that the irish crossing was constructed in such a way to with hold the water velocity when it floods.
“It took the Ministry of Works 7 months to complete this project and we have used 40 culverts to prevent the easy flowing of water during flooding,” Maiwiriwiri said.
“We have also had to re-align the irish crossing due to the continuous flooding on the other side.”
The senior mechanical engineer also said that the Ministry of Works employed 6 villagers during the construction phase.
Meanwhile government gave the tikina of Veinuqa 40 horses to assist them with transportation while they wait for road upgrading works to begin.
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2 CLIMATE TALKS TO ALWAYS INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CLIMATE change talks should not only look at immediate environmental impacts but strengthen its attitude towards sustainable development in the same context.
This was shared by the Department of Fisheries and Forest’s conservator of Forest, Mr Samuela Lagataki who also pointed out that climate change is a cross cutting issue that “touches on what we do in one way or another at various levels and across sectors”.
Speaking at the Development of Fiji National REDD+ Strategy stakeholders meeting, Mr Lagataki said Fiji as the current chair of the Group of 77, can ensure that in climate change negotiations, the REDD+ initiative is adequately incorporated into the talks.
The REDD+, which denotes Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, is a mechanism that is under negotiation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Fiji has been part of this initiative since 2009.
Addressing other relevant Government Ministries and non-governmental and multi-national organisations at the meeting, he asked the groups to ensure that policies and programmes espoused by REDD+ are taken forward in discussions for 2015 and further on to 2020.
“While we are here to complete the national REDD+ strategy I wish to remind you that the strategy needs to address reduction of carbon emission from the forest sector or from forest related activities,” Mr Lagataki said.
“We must also ensure that forest owners are adequately compensated and we must take into account all the third parties,” he said.
The workshop aims to complete the National REDD+ Strategy to which end, the Fijian Government has allocated $300,000 in 2013 for the implementation.
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3 MINISTRY ADVERTISES LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs is inviting applications from qualified iTaukei and Rotumans for scholarships tenable at local universities in Semester 2, 2013 for undergraduate and post graduate courses.
Scholarship applications for the University of the South Pacific include Bachelors of Arts, Education, Commerce, Science and Engineering. Post graduate certificates, diplomas and masters programmes are also offered for these courses.
Similarly, courses offered at the University of Fiji tenable for scholarships include undergraduate programmes in Arts, Commerce, Science and Information Technology and post graduate certificates in international relations and masters in governance, commerce in economics and diplomacy.
Applications are also invited for scholarships tenable at Fiji National University with courses ranging from diplomas in animal health, frontline management and automotive engineering.
Tuition awards will also be considered for Diploma programmes at the School of Nursing Sangam Institute of Technology in Labasa, Fulton College and Corpus Christi Teachers College.
Scholarship awards will be based on merit taking into account academic attainment and/or relevant experience.
Forms can be downloaded from the Ministry website www.itaukeiaffairs.gov.fj.
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