Bills to allow total reinstatement of GCC to be presented in next cabinet meeting

Two bills to amend the iTaukei Affairs Act and iTaukei Trust Fund Act will be presented to cabinet during their next meeting to allow for the total reinstatement of the Great Council of Chiefs.

While making the announcement following a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the cabinet has approved the amendment to the iTaukei Affairs Act of 1944 to provide for the re-establishment of the GCC and amendment to Section 15 of the iTaukei Trust Fund Act of 1944 to enable the funding of the GCC to come under iTaukei Trust Fund.

Rabuka says the draft amendment bills will be presented in the next cabinet meeting for review before it is tabled in parliament.

He says at the moment they cannot have a fully fledged GCC because the legislation to bring it into being have not been passed by parliament.

When questioned on the reconstruction of the GCC building, Rabuka says the insurance negotiations have already been done and he was told that reconstruction will begin this year.