The Fijian Elections Office had used $8,785,801 as costs to run its operations on Elections Day.
This is despite being allocated $15,077,539 for operational cost on Elections Day.
This was highlighted in the 2022 General Election Supervisor of Elections Report released yesterday.
Acting Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa said a government grant approved for the 2022-2023 financial year was $33,211,124.53, compared to 2018 where $20,412,496 was allocated, with an additional funding of $2,439,805, released to cater for election expenditure that same year.
Mataiciwa also indicated that the FEO also received donations from various donor agencies which included the High Commission of India, New Zealand Electoral Commission, United Nations Development Programme, South Pacific Community and funding from the United Kingdom.
“These donations were received in the form of cash, election material and services relating to the election. Donor funds received from 12 April 2022 till 30 June 2022 for the financial year 2022 amounted to $491,092.44.”
“The donor funds received in the election year amounted to $668,987.21 whereas in 2018 only the Indian High Commission donated $291,830 to procure five vehicles.”
The Acting Supervisor of Elections added that the overall expenditure incurred included the salary of EOs and staff, charter of vessels and plane, meals, subsistence allowance, hire of sheds, transport, printing of materials, advertisements for Pre-Poll and Election Day, catering for the National Count Centre and National Result Centres and all other related expenses.
