THE Suva City Council is struggling to meet rising waste disposal costs after receiving less than half the funding it had requested in this financial year.
Council CEO Tevita Boseiwaqa confirmed the SCC had applied for more than $1million to support its waste management operations but was allocated only $400,000 – similar to last year’s figure.
“That’s for waste disposal alone,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.
“It’s a very expensive service, and on top of that, it’s not something that generates income.
“So, we have to dig into our other revenue sources to keep it going.”
He said the cost of waste management in Suva had increased significantly because of rising fuel prices and the city’s expanding population.
“The population has grown. The number of houses has increased.
“That means more rubbish – and the cost should grow with that.”
Mr Boseiwaqa said the council’s calculations were based on data and projections submitted in the budget.
“We had all the stats.
“We made our case, but it’s not only Suva facing this issue – other councils are in the same position.
“This is a major problem. Not just for councils, even institutions across the country are facing the same issue.”
However, he acknowledged the growing support from the Ministry of Environment.
“It’s good to see the ministry coming on board, pushing for cleaner environments.
“That really helps.
“We submitted what we needed but we’ll work with what we’ve got.”
