Local councils urged to run like businesses to raise governance and service standards
Municipal leaders in Fiji are being urged to reduce reliance on government assistance and run councils as self-sustaining entities that deliver real value to residents. Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa emphasized that adopting a business-like approach is essential to improving governance, transparency, and the quality of services provided to communities.
Nalumisa told administrators at the two-day Chief Executive Officer and Special Administrators Forum in Sigatoka that the time has come to rethink funding and operations. “We should move away from depending on somebody else to fund our municipalities,” he said, adding that the core question is how to achieve that shift without compromising service delivery.
The minister argued that governance is the cornerstone of effective service delivery and that councils must meet their annual objectives while earning the public’s trust. He stressed the need for genuine public engagement, noting that projects decided without broad consultation undermine good governance. “This is about serving the people who entrusted us with these roles,” he said, and asked councils to routinely evaluate whether their decisions strengthen public trust and deliver measurable benefits.
The forum focused on governance as a priority for all municipalities, highlighting how councils can work more efficiently, transparently and in ways that maximize benefits for ratepayers. Nalumisa underscored a mindset shift: if residents pay a rate, they should receive substantial value in return, not merely a bureaucratic process.
Context for these comments is broad. In recent months, officials have highlighted persistent governance and financial management challenges across several councils, prompting a push for standardized reporting, stronger auditing, and closer oversight. An Audit and Compliance Unit has been established to conduct independent internal audits across councils, with several councils already completed or undergoing audits. The Office of the Auditor General is reviewing financial statements for various councils, signaling a nationwide drive for greater accountability.
Other related efforts address lingering issues such as inconsistent annual reporting templates and delays in submitting reports. Nalumisa has called for a unified, standardized system to streamline reporting across municipalities, and there is growing optimism that standardized templates, stronger oversight, and timely audits will rebuild public trust and improve decision-making.
There are ongoing concerns about revenue collection, including unpaid rates that threaten the financial health of local governments. Councils are being encouraged to implement targeted rate-recovery strategies, including rate profiling to identify which debtors can be prioritized for payment. Some councils have already introduced discounts and proactive communications to encourage timely payments, recognizing that stable funding is essential for sustained service delivery.
Moreover, it’s worth noting broader governance developments affecting local democracy. There have been discussions about municipal elections, with authorities signaling ongoing reforms to the Local Government Act to restore democratic processes. While timelines remain uncertain, the emphasis is on creating a robust legal and institutional framework that can support fair and participatory elections when feasible.
In short, Fiji’s local-government reform program aims to strengthen governance, accountability, and service delivery by promoting business-like councils, standardized reporting, and proactive revenue management. The collective effort seeks to restore public trust and ensure that municipalities can fund essential services now and in the future.
Summary: A drive to modernize Fiji’s municipal governance includes running councils like businesses, improving governance practices, standardizing reporting, auditing, and improving rate collection, with reforms also touching on the prospect of renewed local elections. The overarching goal is to deliver measurable benefits to ratepayers and rebuild public trust.
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