Termites are a contributor to poverty, says National Federation Party candidate for the 2022 General Election Sashi Kiran.
In an interview with The Fiji Times, she said the issue needed urgent attention.
“In the Western Division, we’ve seen houses absolutely falling apart,” Ms Kiran said.
“It is harder for the poorer to get building materials.
“There is no assistance. “And what we find is that Biosecurity (Authority of Fiji) is saying to us that they’re not resourced enough.
“So when people are calling them, they take the time going and spraying and then after that, there is no awareness, there’s no education of the people.”
She said terminates were spreading and the issue should be prioritised. “From Lautoka, we are told it’s gone up to Tavua, up to Nadi and to Vanua Levu.
“The people who can afford it are able to call the private entities, so there has to be urgent attention to the issue.”
Ms Kiran said neighbouring countries were able to manage the termite problem and Fiji should learn from them.
“They are managing it, so we need to learn how to manage the termite issues to prevent it from further spread.
“Buildings built into a building code and what support can we give to the people who are already suffering in order for them to have sustainable houses.
“At the moment, many people have said to us, especially the poorer, that if a cyclone comes, our houses are going to fall apart.”
She said there needed to be some sort of consultation with experts to figure out how the issue could effectively be addressed.
“I’m not sure whether money is a solution because if we have compromised timber, we are told, if we don’t have good building materials and people don’t purchase them, then they may get infested again, so I think there needs to be a more sustainable solution to it.”
