No willing seller, no buyback, simple - Vosarogo

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo stresses that under the Freehold Buy Scheme, the government will intervene only after a mutual agreement is reached between the current freehold titleholder and the landowners for the sale of the land.

He says at that point, the government steps in to purchase the land and later transfers ownership of the title to the iTaukei landowners once they have fully repaid the government over an agreed period.

fijivillage News also asked Vosarogo what the guarantee is that the iTaukei landowners will pay off the government loan and the bigger problem could come up when the freehold owner does not want to sell and expectant iTaukei claimants get upset particularly in rural areas.

Vosarogo says the buyback scheme of both 1989 and 1993 that he calls 1.0 and 2.0 respectively for ease of reference was introduced and implemented on an arm's length principle and that's something that he wants to stress.

Vosarogo says the Sales and Purchase Agreement that will be signed by the Director of Lands and the Landowning Unit Trust will specify the terms of the purchase and in the agreements of 1989 and 1993, a period of 30 years was given to the LOU to repay government for the purchase price it paid the freeholder.

The Minister stresses there must be a willing buyer and a willing seller, no willing seller, no buyback, simple.

Meanwhile Member of Opposition, Jone Usamate says the Government’s renewed commitment to the Freehold Buy Back Scheme is a positive step, it reflects recognition of the need to restore ancestral lands to Landowning Units that were lost during the colonial times but for a buy-back scheme to succeed, it must deliver result not just promises.

Usamate says the $10 million allocated for the next financial year represents more than just a budget line, it is an investment in housing, financial tools, new economic opportunities, and the resolution of longstanding intergenerational injustices and these are real and pressing needs—and the scheme has the potential to make a real difference.

He says FijiFirst has long championed these goals, building on the original 1989 policy, they worked to make land ownership accessible and provided meaningful support to landowners.

Usamate says it’s also important to correct the narrative because this is not a new initiative, what’s being presented is a continuation of what FijiFirst already strengthened between 2019 and 2021, they successfully facilitated the return of 168 acres of freehold land to iTaukei families.

He says they introduced interest-free loans to ease financial burdens on Landowning Units, and when repayment was challenging, the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources stepped in to lease land on their behalf until debts were cleared and seven LOUs fully repaid their loans and regained ownership of their land.

Usamate also raised a few questions if the buy back scheme 3.0 continue the provision of interest-free loans, or will LOUs be burdened with debt and if LOUs cannot meet repayments, will land leasing remain an option to help manage costs, or will they risk losing access, and what safeguards are in place to ensure LOUs maintain long-term control and security over their land.