The Levuka Town Council is owed over $100,000 in town rates. [Source: Flickr]

The Levuka Town Council is owed over $100,000 in town rates.

This was revealed by Levuka Town Council CEO, Josese Rakuita, who says the COVID-19 pandemic has played a key role in the high amount of rate arrears.

“There are others who are making arrangements. For those from overseas, they just pay directly online and those who are behind, we will be taking them to the Small Claims Tribunal because most of them are just within two to three years arrears, which is less than $5,000.”

He says there are 144 ratepayers in Levuka.

Rakuita adds that while $154,000 is invoiced in town rates each year, the council only received a little over $100,000 last year.

He says while this has affected the town’s source of revenue to carry out its operations, he acknowledged the Government for stepping in to assist, in particular with the subsidizing of business licenses and market stall fees.