[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]

Housing Authority CEO Ritesh Singh reveals that the organization faced 129 issues from various reports including those from the Auditor General, KPMG, and the Reserve Bank of Fiji.

During the presentation of the Special Investigation Report to the Public Accounts Committee, Singh emphasized that the Housing Authority now operates under the scrutiny of the Reserve Bank of Fiji.

Following a review, issues outlined in various reports have been progressively addressed leaving just 20 remaining, all of which are slated for resolution by December.

Singh highlighted a transformative journey that began 18 months ago, with a focus on providing affordable and decent housing in alignment with government mandates.

Under his leadership, the organization has worked diligently to address issues outlined in the 2020 Special Investigation Report.

“The RBF has also done a review based on the positive changes that we have brought in RBF has further extended their grant that we are giving out to our customers, we’ve got about $80million of RBF funding at very low rate that we are giving to our customers on lending.”

Singh states that one of the changes involves restructuring the Housing Authority to meet future demands effectively.

All vacant roles have been filled including the appointment of general managers, with a particular focus on enhancing customer service.

Addressing RBF concerns has allowed the Housing Authority to access the concessional housing facility, leading to more development and the introduction of improved housing loan products for low and middle-income sectors.

This move aims to provide quality homes while ensuring financial integrity and accountability.
Committee Chair Esrom Immanuel’s questioned about the issues highlighted in the reports and potential flaws in processes, corruption, fraud, and misuse of public and government funds.

The CEO acknowledged significant gaps in the processes and affirmed their commitment to addressing these issues to build the brand for the Housing Authority.

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