SUVA, Fiji Islands (April 25, 2000 – Fiji’s Daily Post)---The government has not made any effort to pay the Suva City Council $1.1 million owed in rates, said Lord Mayor Mataiasi Ragigia.
He said the state properties on which rates are levied include the Customs headquarters, Customs Department, Police stations, Government Buildings, some ministries, Government Archives, government-owned institutions, hospitals and the army barracks.
Councilor Ragigia said he appealed to the Minister for Local Government, Dr. Ganesh Chand, to help in the payment.
Discounts on rates were offered early in the year but the government had not taken advantage of these to save taxpayers' money, he said.
However, Dr. Chand had said earlier that the government does not pay rates to the Suva City Council. Instead, it gives an annual grant, which is provided in the Local Government Act.
Ragigia had said that they are rates and not a grant.
"How can it be a grant?...