FijiFirst General Secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says if a loan taken out by a tenant on a leased iTaukei land cannot be paid and the bank does a mortgage sale, it will be a mortgage sale for the balance of the lease period, and the land will not be lost forever.
However the People’s Alliance Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka says their issue is clear that the iTaukei Land Trust (Budget Amendment) Act of 2021 which was Bill 17 came through no consultation with the iTaukei landowners, and removed the requirement of obtaining the consent of the iTaukei Land Trust Board for any mortgage, charge, pledge or caveat on a lease under the Act or for any such lease to be dealt with by any court of law or under the process of any court of law.
While speaking to the media last week, Sayed-Khaiyum said some politicians are misleading people and they have been calling the FijiFirst to come and explain the issue to them.
Sayed-Khaiyum says 60 percent of the landowners have to give consent for the iTaukei land to be leased, they have to agree for what it would be used, and also agree to the term, premium and rental.
He says they find it quite astonishing that they have lawyers from People’s Alliance, SODELPA and other parties misleading people.
Sayed-Khaiyum says he understands Lynda Tabuya had made the comment what would happen if the property goes for mortgage sale. While responding to Sayed-Khaiyum, Tabuya says Sayed-Khaiyum behaves like a gossip recounting second hand information which he takes as the truth of what was said.
Tabuya says he loves to state that someone text him, someone vibered him and someone told him.
She has invited Sayed-Khaiyum to the People’s Alliance campaign meetings, better yet she invites him to a national debate.
Rabuka has made it clear that it is only right that the iTaukei landowners are consulted and the Act formerly known as Bill 17 will be removed if they come into government.
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