What the Grassroots Want: Budget Workshop a Success

 The lack of proper drinking water, inadequate health facilities and  battling the effects of climate change were highlighted as some of the major issues of concern for the 12 villages in the Serua/Namosi province who were represented at the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum’s two day Grassroots Budget workshop in Navua last week.
Through the workshop, the Turaga ni Koro’s and representatives from Veivatuloa, Waidradra, Nakavika, Serua, Yanuca, Vunaniu, Mau, Namaqumaqua, Namelimeli, Naitata, Lobau and Nakavu have been equipped with the knowledge and understanding to identify critical issues which affects not only individual families, but the entire village and the province and ways to prepare proposals for the Ministry of Finance to consider when the National Budget is being drawn up.

Villagers also heard from officials from the Finance, Agriculture and Strategic Planning ministries on how to make their concerns heard, and provincial administrators asked why they were not made aware of the actual allocations contained in the national budget which affect them.

The CCF said partipicant's comments on the workshop were "very encouraging." --Based on a CCF Release.