The Minister for Housing Maciu Nalumisa has voiced his support for cooperation between local councils, the private sector, and citizens to tackle waste problems.
In a statement, Nalumisa has urged a cut down on the waste sent to landfills.
Also, Amitesh Deo, CEO of Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited and founder of PRF appreciated the Minister’s words during a ceremony where new compactor trucks were given to municipalities.
“We look forward to seeing his strong statements reflected further in government policies and practices,” he said.
Deo also shared that they are ready to cooperate with the Ministry of Local Government and municipal councils to divert waste from landfill and dumpsites.
Discussions with Nalumisa and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Seema Sharma, have started.
“We have begun initial discussions on ways the PRF would be able to collaborate with the ministry and various municipalities to mitigate waste management problems,” Deo said.
The PRF has plans to expand its recycling projects to more informal settlements, following the implementation of the I Recycle Hub program in Kilikali Settlement which did not which did not have any proper waste disposal system prior to the implementation.
Further discussions with government agencies and other stakeholders are on the cards.
“We look forward to having more discussions to focus on key areas of the Foundation’s interventions in terms of positively changing the landscape of waste management in Fiji and the region,” Deo said.
The PRF will conduct a strategic planning workshop to outline its end-of-program goals, complete with indicators and a monitoring and evaluation framework.
