Lautoka Swimming Pool Project: Will Funding Issues Sink the Swim?

The Lautoka City Council is facing significant funding challenges in its multimillion-dollar swimming pool project. Initially, the government had pledged $12.6 million for the initiative, but the council has received only $5.5 million to date. Adding to the financial strain, the council allocated an additional $1.06 million from its budget between 2017 and 2020 to sustain the project, according to former council horticulturalist Shri Charan.

Mr. Charan, who was with the council from 1992 until his retirement in 2020, voiced grave concerns regarding the alleged “missing” funds. He highlighted that the council had high hopes when government funding commenced in 2017, but the actual disbursements have fallen short. Despite receiving an allocation of $1.75 million in 2017 and a promised $3 million in 2018, those funds did not materialize as expected, causing frustration within the council, especially regarding communication with the ministry responsible for financial releases.

Supporting Mr. Charan’s assertions, the Auditor General’s Report of Municipal Councils indicated that while the council maintained accurate records of expenditures for the swimming pool, the distribution of allocated funds was mishandled, contributing to project delays. The report identified the Construction Implementation Unit (CIU) as a primary obstacle, as it failed to release the necessary funds, which stalled progress after September 2019.

On a brighter note, the Minister for Local Government has recently announced in Parliament that the swimming pool project is on track for completion by 2026, with an additional $6.1 million allocated for the years 2023 to 2025. This promise coincides with the council’s initiatives to enhance the planning and management of such capital projects, including a commitment to securing agreements before commencing work to prevent financial mismanagement in the future.

While local residents have expressed their frustrations regarding the prolonged delays, there is a growing optimism that these new measures can lead to better governance of projects. If these strategies are effectively implemented, they have the potential to revitalize public infrastructure, transforming the Lautoka swimming pool into a crucial recreational asset for the community.