A visit by the Ministry of Environment to sites and its meetings with the private sector representatives in Savusavu yesterday allowed it to solve a number of issues and assist businesses in the Northern Division who reached out to it in regards to their developments and legislative requirements.
Director Environment Sandeep Singh yesterday said the department believed in taking Government services down to ordinary Fijians and in genuine partnerships in achieving environmental and sustainable development goals.
“We are here to assist investors andDirector Environment Sandeep Singh with
Savusavu businessman Aren Nunnink, carry out a
site inspection in Savusavu yesterday.
Picture: SUPPLIEDthe general public, without compromising our environmental integrity,” she said.
Ms Singh led a team to Savusavu yesterday and discussed an array of issues with the business stakeholders, particularly issues relating to the Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) and waste management permitting process by the Ministry of Environment.
“The Department noted there were a number of facilities who had breached the Environment Management Act (EMA) 2005 and subsequent regulations. Our prosecutors are assessing these breaches and the Department will be filing charges against them.”
She said the department was a strong advocate of sustainable development and applied the precautionary principle in ensuring that Fiji’s natural resources are sustainably developed and utilized.
The Ministry of Environment has facilitated more than $6 billion worth of sustainable development investments in Fiji in the last five years.
