THE Lautoka City Council has been tasked to look for further funding to complete the unfinished multi-million-dollar swimming pool.
This after the Ministry of Local Government’s request for an additional allocation under the 2026-2027 National Budget to complete the swimming pool was rejected earlier this year.
Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa said as a result the LCC special administrators’ council had been requested to look within the council’s finances.
“We requested for one but there was no allocation,” said Mr Nalumisa.
“But now we are exploring funding opportunities internally.
“We have asked the chair and the special administrators of the Lautoka City Council to explore from within on how they can fund the Lautoka swimming pool.”
When asked whether this long awaited project would be completed, Mr Nalumisa did not give a timeline but gave assurances the pool will be done.
“Our target is to complete it but there are a lot of technical aspects that need to be addressed as we pursue to complete the development.”
Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association president Narayan Reddy said the question of whether the project would be completed has been on concerned taxpayer and rate payers’ minds.
“It is the million-dollar question at this point,” said Mr Reddy.
“The fact that now the council will have to look for its own funding for the project is quite concerning especially when there were proposals from private investors who were willing to step up and finish the job.
“But there was no response from the council and government.
“This was a government project to begin with and now its being given to the council to complete without any confirmation of where the funding will come from.”
