Five companies today signed short term contracts for small to medium projects under the Prime Minister’s Small Grants Scheme aimed at benefitting hundreds of Fijians.
Permanent Secretary in the PMs Office, Yogesh Karan says these small investments make a big difference to communities with hundreds of applications submitted.
“We had $9 million this year and it’s pretty much exhausted from the requests and we have quite a lot that are going to be put to the next budget.”
FEA’s Chief Financial Officer Bobby Naimawi says their receipt of close to twenty one thousand dollars will allow them to extend their grid to Tamavua Primary School benefiting close to 450 students.
“Particularly you know in modern day you know that we’re going through E-Commerce mode of teaching nowadays is driven by technology and I’m glad that the students in that school will benefit from the initiative of the PMs office.”
Other awardees included the Water Authority of Fiji who received more than two hundred and twelve thousand dollars to ensure the supply of safe drinking water to the households and villagers of Natradradave.
Annesley Methodist Infant school also received a grant of more than twenty four thousand dollars to construct a new ablution block.
For the community of Nadakuni in Naitasiri, Esthers Earthmoving Works received more than one hundred and fifty nine thousand dollars to clear land for the cultivation of ginger farmers.
The project is expected to assist more than 300 villagers in the area, of which there are 95 active farmers with 38 dedicated to ginger farming.
