THE Auditor General’s 2023 audit report reveals that the Fiji Meteorological Office failed to follow a Cabinet decision to review aviation costs and sign a contract with Airports Fiji Limited for weather services.
The report revealed that it had yet to collect the arrears of revenue owed by Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) of $1.89million as of August 31, 2023.
The office had also not billed the AFL since 2008.
The report said while there were talks between the entities, the Meteorological Office was yet to undertake the review of the cost structure on the provision of meteorological services to the aviation industry and resolve the differences with AFL and CAAF.
“Additionally, the continuous changes in officers handling the issue over the years has impacted the lack of significant efforts towards the recovery of arrears of revenue owed to the Meteorological Office by CAAF,” the report said.
“The Department’s revenue may be understated, and this has resulted in the loss of potential revenue for the Government.”
Cabinet decision (05) 310 of 2005 ratified that the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) and Airports Fiji Ltd (AFL) reimburse the Fiji Meteorological Services 50 per cent of meteorological aviation costs in relation to the Nadi, Nausori terminal and the en-route only backdating the same to July 1, 1978.
The same Cabinet Decision also approved that a review of the structure of costs be carried out and funded by the Meteorological Office.
Following which a contract be entered into between the Meteorological Office and the AFL for the provision of weather services to the aviation industry with effect from January 1, 2006.
Since 2005, the AFL reimbursed the Meteorological Office at 50 per cent of the total expenditure instead of the aviation costs.
However, from 2008, the AFL commenced to reimburse a fixed amount of $50,000 per month.
The AFL informed the Meteorological Office on April 15, 2008 that until an independent study is carried out to determine the cost related to the aviation sector, it will only reimburse a fixed amount of $50,000 per month.
