$4000 fuel bill per month baffles minister
LOCAL Government Minister Premila Kumar says she is baffled at how the Savusavu Town Council over past years used $4000 per month on fuel.
She said it boggled her mind that fuel costs had now dropped to $1000.
“The town council used to spend $4000 per month for fuel and today our team is spending $1000 per month, so it seems the staff were drinking fuel and not using it,” the minister said.
“So these are the little things we are picking up and the expenses of Savusavu Town Council
were overestimated, like $1.7 million, but the expenses were just over $500,000.
“This is a clear indication of what happens when we leave the council in the hands of people who don’t have financial background and I am very disappointed.”
On the temporary sheds built for vendors, Mrs Kumar said the council did not use their own workers to build the shed.
“Instead of using their own workers and materials, the council hired a company to build the temporary market and they were paying rent for that construction.
“That’s how crazy the management of Savusavu Town Council was.”
The temporary market sheds were built in 2018 to cater for vendors who were relocated from the original market area which was demolished for the project.
Mrs Kumar has labelled the project “messy”.
The town council used to spend $4000 per month for fuel and today our team is spending $1000 per month so it seems the staff were drinking fuel and not using it ... these are the little things we are picking up... – Premila Kumar