Vatoa villagers in the Lau Group have requested the Government to provide savings and investment services to maritime islands in the Eastern Division.
This was raised by the Vatoa Village Development Committee Executive Lemeki Biau during the first-ever National Development Plan public consultation held at their village.
Biau says while they appreciate the services of the Postal Agency that allows them to send and receive cash, there is a need for more banking options, which would include banking and investment.
He says while the shortage of cash reserve at the Post Office is a concern because it is limited to $2,000 a month, they also feel that investment and savings should be made available to them, where they could save some of their earnings because if not, they will always be a step behind.
Biau says most times, they were in the dark about policies and opportunities provided by the Government to assist their community and its members because of the lack of awareness.
He also requested that there be visits by officials from respective Ministries to their villages so that they could access these assistance and grants without being left in the dark.
Vatoa is one of the outlying islands in the Fiji archipelago that lies close to the Kingdom of Tonga.
