The Fiji Roads Authority has confirmed that China Railway Fifth Group has been awarded the road maintenance contracts for the Central and Eastern Divisions.

Nands and Pratap and Higgins Fiji hold the contract for the Western Division, while Fulton Hogan Hiways holds the Northern Division contract.

Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Moore says FRA assesses tenders based on many factors which are - the capacity of the contractor, quality of work, contractor’s ability to understand the work required and for the price.

He says when they balanced these factors, Fulton Hogan Hiways  were not the most competitive to do the work required and China Railway Fifth Group offered a more competitive and a better value offer than Fulton Hogan, so the maintenance contract for the Central Division was awarded to China Railway Fifth Group.

China Railway Fifth Group has successfully completed works on Kings Road - from Mead Road roundabout to Kinoya/ Khalsa traffic lights, McArthur Street, Nabua/ Mead Road Roundabout -from Ratu Mara Road to 50m into Mead Road and Golf Link Road, Gaji/ Grantham Roundabout - from Grantham Road to 50m into Kasanji and Gaji Road, Ratu Mara Road- from Princes Road/ Waimanu Road intersection to Lakeba Street Junction, Kings Road- from Laqere Lights to Makoi Lights and Edinburgh Drive.

China Railway Fifth Group and China Railway First Group are two separate companies.

In October this year, China Railway First Group had lost the Kings Road between Rewa Bridge and 9 Miles contract to Higgins Fiji and Dayals Quarries.

FRA had hired the two contractors to complete remaining work on Kings Road.

The FRA had terminated China Railway First Group’s contract due to delays.

Moore says the amount of work that they are planning to do in the future would be more than what they were currently doing which would require more people.

FRA says when China Railway Fifth Group takes over in January, they will require more people and the workers at Fulton Hogan Hiways have been trained for many years in road works and FRA does not want to lose them.

He says many, if not all of those workers that are currently working under Fulton Hogan Hiways whether directly or as a subcontractor would still be working on the roads in Fiji. 

Moore says FRA is looking to see if it can employ some of them at  FRA as well as they still need people working on the roads.  

Fulton Hogan Hiways has refused to comment on the matter.