Some peri-urban districts, informal settlements and villages pay private companies or individuals to collect their household rubbish.
Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar said this while responding to Opposition MP Lynda Tabuya in Parliament on Wednesday last week.
Ms Tabuya had asked what the current method of rubbish collection was for more than 200 informal settlements around Fiji.
In response, Ms Kumar said the councils were currently serving 160 settlements and villages in the respective boundaries.
She said for Tavua, Rakiraki, Nadi, Sigatoka and Lautoka settlements the waste was collected from house to house.
“For the settlements in Ba, Levuka, Labasa, Nausori and Savusavu, the collection of waste is done from a collection point which varies for once a week to twice a week.”
She said residents in informal settlements did not have to pay garbage fees.
“The councils rely on the government subsidy provided to them for the waste collection in the settlements.
“In addition, these settlements mainly in Suva, Lami and Nasinu have two modes of waste collection that is by skip bins and weekly truck services.
“There are some peri-urban districts, informal settlements and villages that pay money to private companies or to individuals that collect household rubbish.”
Mrs Kumar said the ministry provided necessary financial support to the municipal councils through government subsidies to assist in solid waste collection services in formal, peri-urban districts, urban iTaukei villages and informal settlements.
