Chairman Vodafone Tebara Carnival and Committee Members,

 

Special Administrators, Management and staff of Nausori Town Council,

 

Invited Guests,

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Boys and Girls,

 

Bula Vinaka and Good Evening to you all.

It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening for the crowning night of the week-long “Vodafone Tebara Carnival 2022”.

I thank the Nausori Town Council for reviving this Carnival after a lapse of two-years due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I am told that the Tebara Carnival has been supported by both the community and business houses of Nausori – Thank you everyone!

As citizens of this town, it is a collective responsibility for everyone to ensure this Carnival becomes an annual and eagerly awaited event for this township and those living nearby – be proud to show that Nausori has the potential to draw such a lively audience such as what we are witnessing tonight.

Vodafone Tebara Carnival connects and brings people from various walks of lives together to enjoy, earn a living and of all help raise funds for a good course.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Carnival also presents an income generating avenue for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises selling various delicious foods for the community.

I was across the street, this week visiting many of the Fijian women crafters and artists from all over Fiji displaying their traditional and contemporary crafts at the 2022 National Craft Exhibition. So it is pleasing to see many activities happening in Nausori simultaneously.

This is also a great platform for our youth to showcase their creative arts and talents through performances, creative costumes and music.

This year, the hard-working Carnival Committee has made a collective decision to utilise the funds raised for the “Nausori Beautification Initiative” focussed on the theme “Clean, Beautiful and Resilient Community” a theme fittingly aligned with the Fijian Government’s National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals specifically SDG 11 – Creating Vibrant, Sustainable and Resilient Towns and Cities.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a nation, we are building back a lot stronger. We have already recovered over 60 percent of our visitor numbers compared to 2019. So there are a lot of opportunities to benefit from the tourist market too. And events such as this have the potential to become one of the “Things to do” when visiting the Suva-Nausori area.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nausori Town has evolved from a small Municipality with only two Wards and approximately 4,000 population to four wards, with extended boundaries going beyond Korovou – a home to three provinces Tailevu, Naitasiri and Rewa with an estimated population of over 50,000 Fijians.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We anticipate further development in residential and commercial areas in Nausori, especially around Nakasi area – boasting new residential subdivisions, a Police Station, a fire station and new suburban shopping centers and a market.

The Nausori Agriculture and Tourism sector is both thriving and we foresee further development and growth in that space as well.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To make Nausori a more vibrant and attractive town to live, visit or invest in, there is an urgent need to invest and upgrade the public areas. With inflation and stagnant revenue, we cannot rely on Council’s to do this alone. It requires collaborative and partnership effort.

We can all lend a hand to create a clean, beautiful and resilient Nausori. We can start with simple and small steps such as planting more trees, disposing rubbish responsibly, lending hands to clean the hot spot areas, monitoring and advocating for fellow Fijians to stop littering, promoting and practicing recycling, reducing or reusing.  It’s that simple!

A Clean Fiji is not just the Council or Government’s responsibility – it is every Citizen’s responsibility. And the sooner we take ownership of this fact the sooner we will embark on the road to a Clean, Beautiful and Resilient Fiji.

Our CAN-DO Fijian Government together with the 13 Municipalities, Other Government Agencies, Private Sector and NGOs are working tirelessly to clean, beautify and upgrade the existing facilities and public areas.

I am delighted to see that once again, the Vodafone Tebara Carnival Committee has decided to join and help beautify our towns.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would also like to highlight the need for reform in all Township festivals. I have strongly recommended that Good Governance and Accountability is established and maintained at all times. In doing so, one of the strategies put in place is the establishment of a Legislative Framework that will serve as a key part of the governance arrangements for the conduct of the Town and City festivals.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Vodafone Tebara Carnival Committee 2022 for their collaboration, hard work and sacrificing their personal time and resources for organising this year’s carnival. You have yet again demonstrated your “Nausori Civic Pride” through your joint effort and actions.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Vodafone Tebara Carnival also provides a platform for the young beautiful Queen Contestants to build their confidence, showcase their talents and advocate on issues that are concerning our nation – making a positive difference in our community and country.

To all the beautiful Queen Contestants, I am sure you all enjoyed this unforgettable journey and experience of networking and learning new things – and like all of us excited to know about tonight’s final results.

I must say, being a contestant is an honour which you should embrace and value as a young woman and you will carry this with you forever.

You are all winners from the first day you decided to be part of this year’s carnival, you have shown your patriotism through your charity work and will always be remembered for this.  I wish you all the best for tonight and future endeavors.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Vodafone Tebara Carnival also gives an opportunity to local vendors and SMEs to come and sell their produce and earn some income. This year, I am told that all stalls and corporate booths are fully occupied – that’s great news!

My special gratitude goes to Vodafone Fiji Limited for their immense support and sponsorship. Vodafone Fiji Limited is the biggest contributor and has been sponsoring all major carnivals in Fiji, from Rakiraki, Friendly North and Tebara Carnival.

I also take this opportunity to thank the Queen and Night Sponsors and all those who have toiled to make this event a success – without your support, it would be a challenge to host a carnival of this magnitude.

Last but not the least, thank you all for your presence and immense support for the good course.

With these few words, I thank Vodafone, the Council, the Tebara Carnival Committee, Queen and Night sponsors for your kind contribution. I know the weather was not in favour during the early days of the Carnival, but it did not deter or dampen the carnival celebration spirit.

Once again, thank you all for coming in numbers to support and help build a clean, beautiful and resilient Nausori.

I now have the great pleasure of closing this year’s Vodafone Tebara Carnival. I hope the legacy will continue and I am looking forward too many more Carnivals as such in years to come.

 

Vinaka Vakalevu and Thank you.