Cabinet Approves Land Committee

The interim cabinet has approved the formation of a committee on the Better Utilization of Land.

In his submission to cabinet, Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama said the committee came about as a result of a resolution by cabinet in 2007, that the Ministry of Fijian Affairs team up with the NLTB and the provincial administration to approach landowners in respect of already expired or about to expire ALTA leases.

Commodore Bainimarama said the traditional Fijian landowners who own almost 90 percent of all land in this regard on a communal basis, have unnecessary fears that their land can be alienated or removed by the tenant farmers who are largely Fiji-Indians.

Bainimarama said much of this fear has been created by politicians and nationalists. He said the reluctance of Fijian landowners largely resulted from the absolute misadvise, lies and political manipulation espoused by narrow minded politicians and other individuals.

The Interim Prime Minister also said that Fiji-Indians have lived in Fiji for close to 130 years, and during all this period, they have not taken an inch of Fijian land held under customary ownership. He stresses that the end result of the consultation the new committee on the Better Utilisation of Land would have with landowners, would be that the resource owners would be better and more objectively informed about the many good things which can come about as a result of availing their land on lease for investment and productive activities.

The committee will be chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Indigenous Affairs, Ratu Meli Bainimarama and would comprise the Permanent Secretaries of the PM's Office, Lands, Agriculture, and the chief executive of NLTB.