Minister for Public Utilities (Water and Energy), Works and Transport, Colonel Timoci Lesikivatukoula Natuva recently visited Fijian Holdings Limited’s subsidiaries that are key players and material suppliers for the major government infrastructure projects in Fiji. 

Accompanied by Deputy Secretary Planning and Design, Mr Paula Baleilevuka, Deputy Secretary Transport, Mr Malakai Tadulala, Director Water and Sewerage, Mr Sereicocoko Yanuyanurua, Divisional Engineer Roads, Central Eastern, Mr Atunaisa Nayago, Construction Engineer, Central Eastern, Mr Mesulame Ratumaiyale and senior staff of the Ministry of Public Works, the Minister and his team, on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, visited Standard Concrete Industries, Hume Industries and Fiji Industries Limited. 

Fiji Industries Limited is the only cement manufacturer in the country. Standard Concrete Industries is Fiji’s leading supplier for ready-mixed concrete, blocks and quarry products which are used for base materials for the construction of roads in the country. Hume Industries manufactures and supplies precast concrete products such as concrete pipes, concrete power poles, road kerbs, bridge beams, precast wall panels and other structural elements that are used in major construction projects in Fiji. 

The Minister and his team commenced their visit with a tour of Standard Concrete’s Quarry and rock crushing plant and Block making plant in Nasinu before moving to the fully automated concrete batch plant in Vatuwaqa which is the only one of its kind in Fiji. The Minister then visited Hume Industries’ pre-cast yard in Vatuwaqa. 

The tour ended with a visit to the Hume and Fiji Industries Plants in Lami.

While at the main Humes operational plant site in Wailada, Lami, the Minister inspected the concrete pipe factory which supplies concrete pipes for road projects in Fiji and the Pacific Islands as well. 

The visit to Humes, Standard Concrete and Fiji Industries plants provided the Ministerial team with the opportunity to look at the operations of these companies and how they can work in partnership with PWD in terms of the services and products they provide. The tour also enabled the Minister and his team to see the range of products offered by each company, how they are manufactured, the quality standard to which they are being manufactured and how they can provide long term solutions to the infrastructural development challenges within the country. Products such as the Humedeck and precast arches provided by Hume Industries present a cost effective solution to building bridges and walkways in the rural areas. 

The Ministerial team was impressed by the high quality of products manufactured locally by the FHL subsidiaries. Principal Media Liaison Officer, Ms Sainiana Waqainabete said, “We were satisfied and amazed at the products produced by the companies”. 

The FHL subsidiaries were excited with the visit from The Ministry of Works. FHL Managing Director, Mrs Sereana Qoro said, “The visit by the Minister for Works and his team of professional and technical personnel demonstrates the commitment by the Ministry of Works to work with key players in the construction industry to ensure timely completion of Government infrastructural projects. By physically visiting the factories, the Minister and his team witnessed first-hand, the manufacturing processes and the international quality standards observed in the production of construction materials and concrete products at these operation sites”. 

Mrs Qoro further added that, “The Public Works Department remains a major customer and key stakeholder in our businesses and we will continue to partner with them in fulfilling the broader national objective of building and improving infrastructural facilities for the people of Fiji”. 


ENDS