[Photo: File]

Government funding arrangements are contributing to underspending at the Ministry of Public Works.

This, according to Permanent Secretary for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Paula Baleilevuka.

According to Baleilevuka, the Ministry has been delivering services for other agencies without receiving the funding allocated to pay for them.

He raised the issue during the Standing Committee on Social Affairs’ review of the Ministry’s 2019–2020 to 2023–2024 annual reports, explaining how the breakdown in funding transfers is affecting PWD’s ability to carry out work for other government agencies.

“The revival of PWD was not supported with the necessary operating system.”

Baleilevuka said a Memorandum of Understanding between ministries were discontinued in 2024, with departmental warrants intended to replace them.

However, he told the committee the new arrangements were not working effectively.

The consequences, he states are evident in routine government maintenance.

Baleilevuka said another ministry may receive funding to maintain its quarters but rely on PWD to carry out the work.

If the funding does not reach PWD,he states  the department may have to cover the costs from its own budget, while the allocation held by the other ministry remains unused.The same problem disrupted PWD’s support for sugar cane harvesting.

Baleilevuka said the department stopped providing trucks and drivers after money intended to pay for the service was returned to Finance as revenue.

He also cited emergency water carting during El Niño conditions, saying funds intended to pay vessels transporting water were being returned to Finance instead of reaching the service providers.

According to the presentation, the Ministry had about $3.8 million unspent from its $50.62 million budget in 2023–2024, following approximately $6.1 million in unspent funds in 2022–2023.

Opposition MP Ketan Lal asked the Ministry to identify how much of the unspent money was linked to work that had not been delivered.

Baleilevuka said officials would try to match the unspent funds against work not carried out.