In a bid to support and relieve the burden on elderly people, the Nasinu Town Council is considering waiving town rates for the elderly — those beyond retirement age and unable to sustain themselves — in the Nasinu area.
Nasinu Town Council Chairman, Felix Magnus revealed this at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrations in Valelevu.
He says he had contacted the Debt Recovery Unit to request information on town rate debts in the Nasinu area, so a submission can be made to the Minister for Local Government to consider waiving rates for the elderly, in light of the hardships they are facing.
Magnus says there are about 15,000 ratepayers, of which approximately 3,000 are elderly.
He adds that the elderly should not be held accountable for debts accumulated over the years, as they have already served the community.
He notes that the total amount to be waived cannot yet be estimated, as this will only be determined after the available information has been analysed.
The Chairman also mentioned that the Council is planning to develop public grounds, with the revenue generated to be used for the welfare of the community.
He says they plan to build a sporting complex with assistance from a private partnership.
Magnus also says that the Nasinu Town Council is expecting the government to allocate more funds in the upcoming budget to help develop infrastructure that has been ageing for some time.
The 2025-2026 National Budget will be presented in Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor, Biman Prasad on the 27th of this month.
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