News

Default ratepayers a concern for municipalities

December 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar [Source:Fijian Government]

Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar has expressed her disappointment that, despite rates in Fiji being amongst the lowest, some ratepayers continue to default in their payments.

This comes as millions of dollars in rates are still owed to various councils and questions raised about the value of work done by the municipalities.

Kumar says Municipal Councils are already in the process of undertaking a rate profiling exercise to help clear the money owed from defaulting ratepayers.

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“Where you want to understand precisely who this ratepayer is, why he/she is owing rates, why he/she is not clearing the rates and by when they can clear the rates. In other words you are even willing to give them a payment plan.

The Minister says next year an evaluation exercise will be carried out in all municipalities to fix the new rates for various towns and cities.