The Auditor-General has again raised concerns at the Fiji Meteorological Services for not collecting $1.89million owed to it.
The matter was first flagged by the Auditor-General in 2021.
The 2024 Auditor-General Report on the Infrastructure Sector tabled in Parliament last week points to long-standing arrears of revenue owed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) and Airports Fiji Ltd (AFL), stemming from a 2005 Cabinet decision that has yet to be fully implemented.
According to the report, Cabinet Decision (05) 310 of 2005 mandated that CAAF and AFL reimburse the Fiji Meteorological Services for 50 percent of meteorological aviation costs related to the Nadi and Nausori terminals.
This reimbursement was to be backdated to July 1, 1978.
The decision also required a review of the cost structure, to be funded by the Meteorological Office, followed by a formal contract between the office and AFL for weather services to the aviation industry, effective from January 1, 2006.
However, the audit reveals that compliance has been inconsistent.
Initially, AFL reimbursed the Meteorological Office at 50 percent of total expenditure rather than aviation-specific costs.
Starting in 2008, AFL shifted to a fixed monthly payment of $50,000, citing the need for an independent study to determine accurate aviation-related costs.
This arrangement was communicated to the Meteorological Office on April 15, 2008.
The report criticises the Meteorological Office for several key failures, including not conducting the required review of aviation cost structures or entering into a contract with AFL, failing to collect $1.89million in arrears owed by CAAF as of July 31, 2024 and ceasing to bill AFL entirely since 2008.
The Auditor-General recommends that the Meteorological Office prioritise a review of the cost structure for meteorological services to the aviation industry and work to resolve disputes with AFL and CAAF.
In response, the ministry said a consultant appointed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to guide the review and establishment of a cost recovery framework for aviation fees began working with the team in December 2023.
The consultant, now back in South Africa, has submitted a draft report, which the ministry is refining.
The ministry stated that the report’s recommendations are pending agreement from the director of Meteorology, the CEO of the Aviation Authority, and the CEO of Fiji Airports Ltd.
Once agreed upon, this will form the basis for implementing the cost recovery framework through a formal agreement, followed by a Cabinet Paper submitted through standard channels.
The ministry anticipates completion some time in the 2024/2025 financial year.