PM eyes rural return plan

Fiji's government is exploring a resettlement program to support citizens who wish to return from urban centers to their rural villages and maritime communities. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced the proposal, emphasizing the need for collaboration among government ministries, agencies, and provincial authorities to facilitate these returns.

Rabuka highlighted that development must extend beyond urban areas to reach rural and maritime communities. He noted that many individuals have migrated to towns and cities seeking education and employment but now desire to return to their home districts and provinces. The Prime Minister has discussed the idea with his Cabinet, focusing on how the government can best assist those looking to resettle.

Speaking at the reopening of the refurbished District Officer’s Office in Nadarivatu, Rabuka underscored the importance of strengthening rural communities for sustained national development. He also marked the establishment of an iTaukei Land Trust Board office in the area during his visit. The initiative reflects a broader goal to ensure development is distributed across the country, not concentrated solely in urban hubs.

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We in Fiji are fortunate. Those of us from the rural areas are fortunate. Especially from the maritime islands of Fiji, we are fortunate to have been welcomed into the main centers of development over the past years and to have grown and have learned and have benefited from the developments of the urban areas to become what we have become.