TARAWA (Pacnews) — Kiribati President Teburoro Tito has urged leaders of the island councils to find ways of improving the living standards in the outer islands to stop the steady drift of people into the capital, Tarawa.
Tito made the calls when he officially opened the meeting of the head of local governments in Tarawa, and his call echoed rising concerns about overcrowding, as outer islanders arrive looking for better lifestyle and opportunities.
Tito said more than 36,000 of Kiribati’s 85,000 people now live on South Tarawa and social problems are now acute.
“These people are being encouraged to migrate to the capital because of lack of opportunities in the outer islands, so we must work together to start up projects that will attract these people, and to avoid their migration to the capital,” he said.
