Tamavua villagers had not been paying water bills

The latest Public Accounts Committee report on the 2006 Auditor General's report on Infrastructure Services has revealed that Tamavua villagers had not been paying for their water and sewerage bills.

The Committee said the villagers claim that the reservoirs are located on their land and that there had been an arrangement made with the Ministry to waive the charges entitling them to get free service.

However the committee said although the audit was informed that under an agreement, only five landowners were exempted from paying for their water bills, there was no documentary evidence to substantiate the claim.

Furthermore the Public Accounts Committee said one of the chiefs of Tamavua village, Ratu Meli Loki Tunisau was claiming the same arrangement should apply to his property at Ragg Avenue and he had disputed the charges, the arrears of which had reached 20 thousand 495 dollars in 2006.

The Committee reveals that there were others like Ratu Meli Loki who were claiming free water for their residence outside the village.

In addition, the committee said there were those in the village and nearby neighbourhood who were not from Tamavua Village claiming for the same free water and sewerage service.