A local contractor company has been engaged by the Fiji Ports Corporation Limited to undertake a comprehensive underwater assessment at the main wharf in Suva.

Once this is completed, the Australian Engineering Consultant Company will submit a final report to FPCL on the changes or repairs that need to be done at the main wharf.

According to FPCL Chief Executive Vajira Piasena –the exercise will take some time.

He says it’s not an easy operation with the team to assess the concrete structure and the standard of the materials used under water.

“Getting underwater photographs and those has to be done and that will be submitted to this overseas consultant who are doing the compressive assessment so when these both parts are completed then we will get the final report assessment. They cannot assess anything without doing both parts so it is not like a halfway thing.”

The total cost of the operation is expected to be around $100,000.