Bala : Service Delivery A Priority for Town Councils
Fiji’s heavily populated and largest municipality, Nasinu, will be the first to collect garbage every weekday. Minister for Local Government, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure and Transport Parveen Bala said the 2018/2019 National Budget announced by the Minister for Economy and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum last week had given the town councils what they had asked for.
The 2018-2019 National Budget has allocated a total of $1million to standardise rubbish bins across the country, starting first in Nasinu.
And an allocation of $1.5 million towards the collection of rubbish by the Government.
Now there will be an increase of garbage pick-ups every day from Monday to Friday, first starting in Nasinu.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum while delivering the budget address said the initiative would not only make the enviroment look better, it would make it crystal clear in every Fijian community, exactly where the rubbish ought to be placed.
“Not in the streets, not in our rivers, but in the rubbish bin,” Mr
Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“In our major urban centres, rubbish is choking roadways and communities – and it’s unacceptable. “The Government will also introduce a new pilot programme in Nasinu to distribute compost bins where Fijians can dispose of organic waste, like leaves and kitchen waste.” Mr Bala said now service delivery should be top priority for all the town councils.
He said Nasinu being the largest municipality and heavily populated area, the ministry had a real issue for garbage collections.
“I am happy that the Government has come in to subsidise for the collection of garbage in the Nasinu area,” Mr Bala said.
“It is not only in the Nasinu municipal boundaries but it goes beyond that as it’s peri-urban.
“In Nasinu, we have a lot of informal settlements and that is where the real problem is.
“What the town councils have asked for in their township has been given by the Government, so now my message to them is that the fund has been given so service delivery should be top priority for all the town councils.”