Special Administrators of Municipal Councils are meeting today and tomorrow at the Suva Business Centre to discuss their achievements and also specific challenges.
Top of the agenda in that meeting is rate collection.
Special Administrators are making presentations on how they plan to maximise rate collections and what arrangements have been made to recover arrears.
They will also be required to give updates on the status of all projects not completed and how these issues are being handled.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar shared some of the things she observed during her visits.
She says slippery tiles are being used by some shopowners posing risk to our pedestrians and there was a lack of dedicated parking for people living with a disability.
Kumar also says she noticed derelict houses in towns and cities becoming a hub for illegal activities.
She says the development of local infrastructure should be a major focus for Municipal Councils even during the COVID-19 pandemic as it creates jobs during the planning, design and construction stages and also in the ongoing maintenance of the asset.
Kumar has urged the Special Administrators to put ratepayers first.
