The Attorney-General and Minister for Local Government, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum handed over rubbish bins to 13,000 ratepayers within the Nasinu Municipality yesterday.

“It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that all Councils’ have the right facilities to be able to ensure that the rate payers and people living in the municipal areas have proper facilities,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

He said the Nasinu Town Council was given the rubbish bins through the Challenge Funds.

“Various muncipals have applied for the Challenge Funds for their different projects stating how much money they needed, what they needed the money for and how will they use it.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said sanitation was very critical and people should take good care of the bins.

“We have been given by our forefathers an anvironment that was very clean and where rubbish was not burnt.”

He said they were providing this necessity because it was very important as rubbish brought about diseases.

“We want to have a safer and much cleaner environment which is very important for our dignity and we will feel good about oursleves when we live in a clean environment.”

The town’s special administrator, Mosese Kama, said Nasinu was the most populous municpality in Fiji of 87,446 and with the largest in land area of 78.3 square kilometres more than twice the size of Suva.

“It is the municipal’s responsibility of maintaining a sustainable infrastruture, providing sanitary services and preservation of its environment,” Mr Kama said.

He said 13,196 rubbish bins were given to the ratepayers and the total cost was $280,312.

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