Govt forms taskforce to deal with land lease, renewal and premium issues

A taskforce has been formed by the Coalition Government to deal with land lease, renewal and premium issues faced by the farmers and landowners.

This has been highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics Professor Biman Prasad during a meeting with the Minister for iTaukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu, Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Charan Jeath Singh and representatives from the iTaukei Land Trust Board to discuss on ways to resolve the land lease issues.

Professor Prasad says the taskforce will be made up of ministries and agencies from the Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar, Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways and the iTaukei Land Trust Board.

Meanwhile, Minister for iTaukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu says the taskforce will have consultation meetings with landowners and farmers in the Central, Western, and Northern Divisions from mid-October 2023 to discuss the land matters and give assurance to landowners, farmers and tenants that the coalition government is looking into the land matter and will work on strategies and proposals.

Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Charan Jeath Singh says they aim to increase the production of sugar cane in Fiji as there have been concerns by the farmers about the premium, renewal of leases and the way forward.

He says the meeting has identified some ways to go forward and console the farmers and land owners to see how they can make the sugar industry more vibrant.