Praneeta Prakash 
Measures have been implemented by Fiji Corrections Service to address concerns about millions of underutilized funds in its budget.
FCS representative highlighted this while making submissions before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Whole of Government Audit Report.
Committee Chair, Esrom Immanuel noted that in 2019, unutilized funds amounted to $5.9 million, followed by $5 million in 2020, $1.3 million in 2021, and $4.6 million in 2022.
Immanuel raised questions about the recurring issue, emphasizing that unspent funds represent an opportunity cost to the government, which could have been used for other services or ministries.
FCS Senior Accounts Officer John Kelepi says that staff resignations, terminations, and the inability to fill vacant posts in a timely manner have contributed to the underutilization of these funds.
However, he says steps have been taken to ensure that such issues do not reoccur.
“We confirm that most of the positions that were vacant during this particular financial year has been filled through external advertisement and the promotion of staff and as we speak we continue to work on our structure based on the job evaluation exercise that has been approved by cabinet and this is currently a major exercise that we are undergoing.”
Kelepi stated that the $1.8 million allocated for building projects was underutilized due to delays in completing two major projects.
These projects are the new northern division headquarters in Labasa and burial ground improvements in Suva which are now complete.
