TLTB plans to carry out more evictions

The iTaukei Land Trust Board is planning to carry out more evictions as it continues with its plans to reduce the lease arrears.

TLTB General Manager, Alipate Qetaki said drastic action has been taken this year in the form of evicting tenants and this involves the dismantling of houses after obtaining court orders.

Qetaki said the normal strategies and procedures of the serving of notices, publication of tenant names and loading names in the Data Bureau are not producing the desired results.

The total rent arrears as at January 1st this year was $25.6m.

This has been reduced by $10.4m as at 31st October this year and the total arrears now stand at $15.2m.

The reduction is attributed to the write-off of re-entered leases together with some fictitious leases.

Qetaki also said a total of 1,359 new leases with a total rent of $949,000 were created and issued by the board in the first nine months of this year.

The total lease count within the TLTB at the end of September this year was 35 thousand and 30 leases with a total rent of $27.7m.

Story by: Vijay Narayan