The National Fire Authority (NFA) has issued a nationwide notice giving government ministries, businesses and private individuals 30 days to settle outstanding debts or face the suspension of non-emergency services.
In a public notice issued on Saturday, NFA said the directive applies to all debtors who have failed to honour repayment arrangements with the authority.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane said the move is aimed at ensuring the authority remains financially sustainable and able to continue delivering essential services.
“The outstanding debts include fees, false alarm charges and emergency ambulance services,” Sowane said.
He said the notice was issued under the National Fire Authority Act and forms part of efforts to recover overdue payments while maintaining operational capacity.
According to the notice, failure to comply within the stipulated period could result in enforcement action, including suspension of non-emergency services such as alarm monitoring and fire safety inspections.
The authority warned that debt recovery costs incurred during the process may also be charged to account holders.
Sowane urged all debtors to take immediate steps to settle their accounts or make acceptable repayment arrangements before the deadline expires.
“Failure to act within 30 days will result in the suspension of all non-emergency services provided by the NFA and the initiation of legal proceedings to recover outstanding debts,” he said.
Debtors have been advised to contact the NFA Finance Department at its headquarters in Suva to discuss payment options.
The NFA said the recovery exercise is necessary to strengthen its financial position and ensure it can continue providing critical fire and emergency services to communities across Fiji.
