Sainiani Boila 
Aerial shot of Nausori town [File Photo]
The inconsistency in the reporting templates used for submitting the annual reports remains a major challenge for the municipal councils.
Minister for Local Government Maciu Nalumisa highlighted this issue while discussing the Savusavu Town Council Annual Reports for 2011-2013, emphasizing the need for a streamlined approach.
Nalumisa confirmed that the Ministry is developing a standardized reporting method to be implemented across all municipalities.
Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa.
He points out that the delay in preparing annual reports by many municipalities was largely due to the lack of good governance.
“He described this as a clear example of poor governance, which reflected inadequate management and weak monitoring by the Ministry in past years. There was no dedicated department within the Ministry to oversee and audit the operations of the councils, contributing to the issues currently affecting them.”
He stressed the importance of revitalizing local government to ensure that newly elected councilors are more accountable for managing their councils’ resources and operations.
To address these concerns, the Ministry has established an Audit and Compliance Unit in the current financial year. This unit is conducting independent internal audits of all councils under its purview. To date, five municipal councils have been audited, and two councils have undergone special audits.
The Office of the Auditor General is currently reviewing the financials for the Savusavu Town Council for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, while the council is working on compiling financial statements for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 fiscal years.
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