Ministry of Local Government Permanent Secretary Seema Sharma

The Ministry of Local Government is introducing a dedicated audit and compliance team to oversee vital capital projects across Fiji.

Permanent Secretary Seema Sharma states that the initiative aims to improve the efficient completion of projects while maintaining high standards of accountability and transparency.

She adds the team will monitor and inspect projects, including the Savusavu, Nakasi, and Levuka markets, the Lautoka swimming pool, Govind Park, and initiatives under the National Fire Authority.

Sharma adds the new department is committed to ensuring the appropriate utilization of funds for capital projects throughout the execution process.

“We want in place a proper work plan because some of the issues that you would see is that a number of these municipalities are still far behind in terms of their financial audits, in terms of their annual reports.”

Sharma states that the department will uphold strict adherence to project deadlines.

For the current budget, $100,000 has been allocated for staffing with additional necessary resources covered within the local government budget allocation.