Litia Cava 
[Photo: File]
Government funding arrangements are contributing to underspending at the Ministry of Public Works, says Permanent Secretary Paula Baleilevuka.
Speaking before the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Baleilevuka explains that the breakdown in funding transfers leaves the Public Works Department delivering services for other agencies without receiving the allocated funds.
“The revival of PWD was not supported with the necessary operating system.”
Baleilevuka states that departmental warrants, intended to replace a discontinued Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, are not working effectively.
As a result, routine maintenance and essential services are disrupted.
When another ministry holds funding for quarters maintenance or sugar cane transport but relies on PWD to do the work without transferring the money, PWD must absorb the cost while the other ministry’s allocation goes unused or returns to Finance.
He adds that during El Niño conditions, funds for vessels delivering emergency water were similarly returned to Finance instead of reaching service providers.
According to the Ministry’s annual reports review, PWD left about $3.8 million unspent from its $50.62 million budget in 2023–2024, following $6.1 million in unspent funds in 2022 2023.
Responding to Opposition MP Ketan Lal on how much unspent money ties directly to incomplete projects, Baleilevuka says officials are working to match the unspent allocations against uncompleted work.
