Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of policies to improve the management of government quarters.

This was based on a submission by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama which will mean that there will be a review of the eligibility, entitlement definition to reflect the current situation pertaining to Housing and Civil service reform, and to adopt open market rental policy and not hold exclusively for civil servants.

The government will also stop the renting of private quarters, but instead pay housing allowance to entitled and eligible officers at the existing rates, and all maintenance works of government quarters will be outsourced after a competitive bid process.

Commodore Bainimarama said the existing policies have resulted in inadequate rent recovery resulting in a net annual operating cost to government in excess of $5million.

These changes will be effective from 1st January 2010.