STATEMENT by Mayor of Lami Town Council (Fiji Islands) Cr Jasper Singh on the
use of ICT for Urban Environment Management.
13-14 December 2004
Bangkok, Thailand.
The Lami Town Council and other Councils in Fiji have yet to fully realize
the potential benefits of utilizing Information and Communication
Technologies for urban environment management and for other areas.
Current Status of ICT in UEM
Most councils have computer hardware but lack the software and training
to conduct the daily management and communication of information in
urban environment management (UEM). The use of the internet and
email is only restricted to senior staff because the high usage costs as
there is only one service provider in Fiji.
High capital investment and limited access to existing terminals force
councils to manually address the management and communication of
information in UEM. For example information is still being manually
recorded in files (traditional method) and dispatched to users via fax,
telephone and/or newsletters. This system is not only time consuming but
is not delivering up to date and rapid information to the stakeholders.
Inefficiencies in service deliveries (public health issues, solid & green
waste collection campaigns, road & drain management etc.,) remains an
issue as the council still adopts the conventional methods of information
management when conducting its urban environment management
functions. The news media (print & radio) still remains the only prompt
avenue to disseminate information to the stakeholders while newsletters,
public notices and personal visits are follow-ups.
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Future in ICT for UEM – A Must
The use ICT in urban environment management via computers,
the
internet ( website & networking) and other digital/electronic methods are
crucial because we would be able to:
 accurately and promptly utilize and disseminate information on
UEM eg. the different types & volume of refuse currently being
dumped at our landfill site, natural disaster controls etc.,
 stakeholders including other councils would be able to access
information directly via website ( policies, regulations etc.)
 effective policy planning and implementation through electronic
stakeholder
fed-backs
(e.g.
addressing
the
problem
of
scavengers, effective clean-up campaigns etc)
 wider public participation,
 reduce cost
We must also consider that the end user must also have access to the
information electronically to be effective as the bulk of the people in the
Pacific Region (developing Island countries) do not have access to
computers and the internet and also are computer illiterate.
Lami Town Council envisages to seek assistance through donor agencies
for the funding of its ICT activities because of the high hardware and
software acquisition costs.