Municipal Councils have to take equal responsibility in helping reduce the crime levels within their municipalities around the country says Urban Development Minister Samuela Saumatua.
Colonel Saumatua said there have been some significant changes in the operations of the municipal councils around the country.
“In the operations of our municipalities, for example, there has been a cultural change or a shift within the councils.
“The town councils should belong to all of us and it must be clean, devoid of corruption, there is to be no favoritism, nepotism or racial discrimination in the service delivery. There is to be accountability in the award of tenders and business license and collection or rates,” he said.
Col Saumatua has encouraged Special Administrators and CEOs of the town councils to think outside the box and to create a Fiji free from criminal activities.
“No longer is the municipality or the town responsible only for the collection of rates, repair of roads and the cleaning of the market. It has got to be more than that.
“They are now empowered to look into matters relating to health, poverty within the community, the impacts of climate change, be responsible for the squatters within the boundaries and they are also empowered to take responsibility for security within their own municipality,” the Minister said.
He believes that by working together with the Police Force and the community, the municipal councils can take the lead role in the fight against crime.
Col Saumatua said gone were the days where the police force were the only ones responsible for reducing crime.
“Crime prevention is about the willingness of every human being to see to lawful authority and recognize and appreciate what the authorities do. The mindset has to change as the struggle is a philosophical one.
“Fiji will be a more secure and safer place if everybody takes responsibility of reducing crime rather than blaming the authorities,” he added.