Married couples will get much needed support for building or buying their first home.
Under the $10 million allocation, a grant of $10,000 will be available for building a home and a grant of $5,000 will be available for buying a home.
This program will be on a first come first served basis.
Commodore Bainimarama said they are also allocating $1 million to the Housing Assistance and Relief Trust, as a grant to cover the construction of new HART homes and maintenance of existing ones.
$5 million has been provided for various squatter projects for next year.
Out of this amount, $3 million is for the completion of the remaining work of phase 1 at Lagilagi or Jittu Estate and the commencement of phase 2.
The remaining $2 million is for squatter projects in other areas around the country and through this funding more than 2,260 households are expected to benefit from improved standards of living.
The Prime Minister also announced that next year they will launch the “City Wide Squatter Upgrading Project” which will involve the upgrading of squatter settlements in the urban and peri-urban areas that lie within the Suva-Nausori Corridor, Nadi, the Lautoka Corridor, Labasa and Savusavu.
$1 million has been allocated for the “Town Wide Informal Settlement Upgrading Project” for the upgrade of informal settlements on iTaukei land along the Lami-Suva-Nausori corridor.
These include Qauia and Nadonumai in Lami, Khalsa Road in Nasinu, Cunningham Road and Waidradra in Nausori.
The project will ensure that squatter dwellers have access to basic services such as water, sewerage, electricity and roads.
Commodore Bainimarama also announced that they will provide a 150 percent tax deduction for all cash contributions of up to $50,000 made to any Government-sanctioned project for squatters.
$1.5 million has also been allocated next year to the Public Rental Board for the construction of 36 flats at Kalabu for low to middle income households.
An allocation of $2.5 million has been provided under the PRB Savusavu Development Project for the construction of 50 flats in Savusavu.
Story by: Fijivillage Team
