The villagers of Nawailevu in Bua were jovial mood yesterday after they received $500,000 in lease payment as the Government continues to distribute the lease money in the Bua areas.
The payment also sealed the deal for bauxite mining on their land.
Members of both landowning units, the mataqali Naicobo and mataqali Noro could not contain their emotions in receiving the payment.
They have transferred 165 acres of their land for bauxite mining, 109 acres from the mataqali Naicobo and 56 acres from mataqali Noro.
The one off payments saw mataqali Naicobo receiving $577,050 and mataqali Noro $32,900.
Aurum Exploration Fiji Limited made the payment to the government which is administering the villagers land through the Land Bank.
A trust account will be set up to manage lease monies and will include mataqali members and the Commissioner Northern as trustees.
The landowning units will receive lease payments for the next twenty years which is the duration of the lease.
Story by: Shalvin Deo
