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PRESS STATEMENT – NEW HEAVY MACHINERY FOR LEVUKA TOWN COUNCIL

 

PRESS STATEMENT

NEW HEAVY MACHINERY FOR LEVUKA TOWN COUNCIL

The Minister for Education, Heritage & Arts and Local Government expressed her gratitude to the Government of the People of Japan for donating heavy machinery to the Levuka Town Council. Honourable Minister further thanked the Fijian Government and the People of Japan  for all the support provided to Levuka Town Council and other Municipal Councils till to date.

“Levuka Town Council has been hiring excavators from the mainland to carry out much needed development on the island including management of solid waste for dump pushing. This has been time consuming and costly to the Heritage Town.                            With the timely donation of the 9 tonne Tipper Truck and the 5.7 tonne Excavator, they will no longer need to hire machines and pay cartage across to Levuka”, stated the Hon. Minister for Local Government.

Levuka Town Council with only 152 ratepayers has limited resources. When we are limited by resources, there is greater dependence on the National Government, NGOs and other development partners.

“The total rates invoiced by the Levuka Town Council in 2021 stands at $166,255. So far, a sum of $134,571 has been collected. The revenue base is small and unlike other Municipality, Levuka Town Council has no car park or a market to generate revenue. It relies on government support to deliver basic services to the people of Levuka. As you all know the Government is building a market for a sum of $2.0m to assist the council to financially sustain itself in the long run. Every year Levuka Town Council receives around $200,000 from the Government to manage their operation”, mentioned Hon. Premila Kumar.

Providing Solid Waste Management services in the different municipalities come at a cost. This cost is borne by the City and Town Councils, which is subsidised by the Fijian Government.

Levuka Town Council is allocated a Waste Collection Subsidy of $50,000 to service the Rural Delegated Areas in Ovalau, Lomaiviti and Lau.

It is everyone’s shared responsibility to contribute towards the management of waste. The health and wealth of the land we live from, the environment, the community, and the society we live in is our shared responsibility.

Ends.