The Local Government Ministry is proposing changes to the current town planning laws that has been often tagged as out-dated.
Minister Parveen Kumar yesterday launched the Public Awareness and Consultation of the Proposed Amendments to Fiji’s Town Planning Laws.
Kumar says the current legislation has been tagged as negatively affecting expected turn-around-times on town planning applications or development permits and subsequently creating frustrations.
He says there have been calls to say that it is a contributor to Fiji’s poor ranking in Doing Business, which is also the finding of an annual survey by World Bank.
“My Ministry heeded these calls and embarked on reviewing its laws and in doing so, had the opportunity to self-evaluate its performance and identified gaps in terms of what was lacking and also components of the laws that are either irrelevant today or will only prolong the so-called red-tape. The proposed changes could not have come at a more appropriate time, considering the civil service reform, which aims to strengthen performance, efficiency and working smarter as we serve our people.”
Kumar says staff from his office will hold consultations in the next 3-4 months to enlighten the public on the proposed amendments to the town planning laws.
The proposed changes are to bring about a reduction in timelines, efficiency in processes, strengthening coordination and enforcement mechanisms.
