Peceli Naviticoko 
Meli Nacoke
Business operators in northern Bua province believe a larger shopping center will help villagers get their groceries without having to travel to Labasa or Savusavu.
Meli Nacoke, a prominent shop owner, says people in the Wainunu and Kubulau districts spend extra money travelling to Labasa and Nabouwalu for groceries and other services.
While he acknowledges the focus on the Nabouwalu township project, Nacoke highlights that the upper region also struggles due to its remote location and lack of standard shopping facilities.
“This has been assisting all villages and communities in this area; besides, it’s accessible, and it’s right at the government centers. Instead of going all the way to Labasa, Savusavu, or Nabouwalu, we also have plans for bigger centers to cover Northern Bua, like a fuel service station.”
Nacoke, who currently operates a shop in the region, adds that a successful business is possible if people work together.
Another business operator in Daria, Wainunu, Mereia Vua, says a shopping center would greatly benefit the two districts.
She says her plan is to expand her business to cater for the whole of Wainunu, as at the moment people are buying either from Dreketi or Labasa for their weekly groceries.
Both Kubulau and Wainunu districts have their own government stations, but are far from Nabouwalu and closer to Savusavu.
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