Native Land Rent Drops

There are revelations today that the land rent for native land in the Central division has dropped from 600, 000 to 200, 000 dollars due to non-renewal of leases.

NLTB officials said an assessment report found that from 1997 to 2006 shows that majority of the land for which leases have expired and returned to native owners have not been utilized.  

Officials said before 1997, more than 600 thousand dollars in land rent was collected in the Central division, but between the year 2005 and 2006 only 200 thousand dollars in land rent was collected.

Speaking at the Namosi Provincial Council meeting, Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) officials said the Committee on Better Utilization of Land and N Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) officials with the assistance of Commissioner Central's Office are currently visiting landowners in the Central division  advising them on what they can get out of their land.

They have been speaking to landowners in Tailevu to utilize their land well or look at options to renew the leases after an assessment that landowners did not utilize the land well when leases expire, therefore contributing to less lease money for them.