NLTB directed to pay out lease money equally to native landowners

Native landowners who are leasing their land will now receive equal funds as part of the money received by the Native Land Trust Board.

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has directed the NLTB to immediately address matters that may impede the decision on the equal distribution of all money received by the board on all native land.

In a letter to the NLTB senior management, Commodore Bainimarama stressed the importance of the board complying with the government decision.

The Prime Minister who is also the chairman of NLTB said the equal lease distribution formula applies to all money received by the NLTB but not yet distributed as at the 1st of this month.

It has also been stated that where money belonging to a landowning unit was invested by NLTB without any distribution, then such money, together with any interest on the investment, will need to be distributed equally under the newly gazetted formula.

Commodore Bainimarama has also directed NLTB to reprogram their IT system to allow for the new distribution formula.

He said the manual process must be adopted while the IT system is being reprogrammed and there is no need to put rental payments, which are due and owing, on hold.

NLTB general manager Alipate Qetaki said they are now working with their IT consultant to reprogram the lease payment formula.

Qetaki confirmed that the previous lease distribution formula has been revoked and the new one is now in place.

In an earlier interview before the change occurred, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister=s Office, Colonel Pio Tikoduadua had told us about the previous lease distribution formula.