By Anish Chand & Nanise Volau
Works have begun on plans to construct a new complex for the office of the Prime Minister, which is currently housed on the fourth floor of the new wing of Government Buildings in Suva.
Islands Business today also got hold of the artist impressions of what the complex would look like once completed.
It would be a makeover of a double-storey old Ministry of Education building at Selbourne Street, up the road from the Reserve Bank of Fiji Towers and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Under the government’s 2016/2017 budget, a sum of F$5 million was set aside for the Prime Minister’s complex.
An additional $5 million was to cover the construction or maintenance of the official residences of the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Borron House.
Islands Business has also learnt that the suppliers’ contract for the proposed work on the new office of the PM has been awarded to HLK Jacob Ltd.
Contacted today, a spokesperson for HLK Jacob said he is no position to comment publicly about the project, and referred our enquiries to the Construction Implementation Unit (CIU) at the Ministry of Economy.
CIU manager Mohammed Shah told News Wire his Unit is still in the process of securing a suitable contractor.
“Once we get this approved, we can then determine the cost,” Shah added