The Fijian Government allocates $35 million a year to rent office spaces throughout Fiji.

Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Government was in the process of reviewing about 40 tenancy agreements which were being assessed on a monthly basis while agreements suitable to Government’s needs were re-negotiated.

He said previous Governments had entered into long term 15 to 20-year tenancy agreements without the proper checks and balances which was now a problem.

However, Government had a legal obligation to continue with the tenancies until the end of the agreement.

He said Government was paying more than $200,000 for a building in Samabula that did not have proper ventilation because it used to be a cinema.

Back in the day, the Elections Office had occupied a few floors of a building in Suva and were paying $25,000 a month in rent.

Government’s stand now was to enter into long term agreements with landlords who were willing to provide their capital upfront and build according to Government’s specifications.

This was to ensure that civil servants worked in a conducive environment and government services were not affected.

He said the Ministry of Education, among other ministries, would soon have its own buildings where all services would be offered instead of offices being strewn in several different locations across Suva.

The buildings would also have coffee shops and service areas for staff and members of the public.

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