The Standing Committee on Social Affairs has acknowledged plans by municipal councils to make squatter settlement residents bear the costs of improperly dumping trash.
Committee chair Iliesa Vanawalu made the comment during the presentation of the Lautoka City Council’s 2015-2017 annual reports to the committee yesterday.
“According to some councils, these are areas that actually misplace a lot of things in terms of rubbish – they just throw it anyhow and they’re not liable, only those who are paying the rent are being tasked,” Mr Vanawalu said.
“So, moving forward, we are happy to see that you’ve got plans so that they (squatter settlement residents) can be part of the council’s plans to bear the cost.”
Council CEO Mohammed Anees Khan said while this was non-existent in Lautoka, the council had a separate plan in place that lessened waste collection problems.
“In terms of waste collection, I know that in squatter settlements, we don’t go street by street,” he said.
“We have encouraged the settlements to have their committees and identify a common collection area.
“So, they collect it within the area, and the council collects it from there, so we don’t go house to house.”
Mr Khan said the council was working in partnership with the Housing Ministry and that there were two projects in progress for the regularising of squatter settlements in Lautoka.
“Once the project is done and handed over to the ministry, it will be transferred under the municipal boundaries and the council will appropriately carry out the full services and charge them the city rates, so currently the squatter settlements are not paying city rates.”
