Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa has reshuffled several key special administrator positions to align leadership with a shared agenda, saying that consensus among all parties is essential for effective local governance. Speaking at the Municipal Council’s Chief Executive Officer and Special Administrators Forum in Sigatoka, Nalumisa emphasized that decision-making must be collaborative and that councils should work toward a single, common goal.
Nalumisa noted that some councils have struggled to reach agreement on how to proceed with major decisions and that it is important for the ministry and the councils to operate as a cohesive team. He said he had changed the chairmanship of some councils to ensure a unified approach and warned against special administrators pursuing their own separate goals. The overarching aim, he said, is to ensure residents’ needs are met through transparent and accountable governance.
“The end result must be that residents’ needs and demands are catered to,” Nalumisa stated. He underscored that delivering strong services to the public requires not only effectiveness but also transparency in how those services are managed and delivered. Governance, he added, remains a core pillar of improving local services.
This broader push for stronger governance and accountability coincides with ongoing efforts across Fiji’s municipal councils to streamline leadership and enhance service delivery. In recent weeks, Nalumisa has publicly cautioned special administrators against interfering in day-to-day council operations, and there have been leadership changes at Ba Town Council following worker protests. Those events have involved the appointment of acting chief executives and ongoing discussions with staff and unions to address pay and conditions, underscoring the government’s focus on transparent, consistent governance at the local level.
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