Work is underway in Fiji to remove asbestos from the President's residence, known as State House.
The Fiji health minister, Jone Usamate at the Closing Ceremony of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, 2014. Photo: International Labour Organisation cc-by-2.0
The minister of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Jone Usamate told a symposium on asbestos in Suva his ministry was also supervising work to remove material containing asbestos from the Nausori Town Council.
He said eliminating asbestos-related diseases is challenging for smaller Pacific Island countries including Fiji where many buildings are fairly old and earlier this year the ministry successfully removed asbestos from the Old Civic Centre in Suva.
Mr Usamate ticked off the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme during his speech to symposium delegates, and said the regional environmental agency should have better control over its staff and information.
He said an "asbestos frenzy" was created in Suva after a junior staff member circulated wrong information on the containment of asbestos in the Centre area.
Mr Usamate said work is underway to identify other buildings which may contain the material, which is a health risk when it's inhaled as fine dust.