The new sealed Buca Bay Road opened by the Prime Minister, Voreqe yesterday will provide opportunities for the landowners.

“What this new road does is allow people to finally focus on the potential of the area and not worry about its remoteness and inaccessibility – to focus on all the opportunities it offers for future development,” the Prime Minister said.

He said for landowners, these new opportunities meant that land in the area would be more attractive to potential investors and businesses.

“And as a result, the value of the land will increase and in some cases increase significantly. This is very good news giving landowners more choices about how to put their land to use,” he said.

He clarified that despite what some political parties were saying, the right of landowners to decide on what to do with their land was absolute; the same as it had always been, and was in no way under threat.

“I urge landowners not to listen to anyone who tries to tell them that Government will force them to use their land in a particular way without having any say in the decision. This is a bold faced lie.”

He said the sole intent of Government was to create opportunities for landowners and then to help them take advantage of those opportunities, so that they benefited and Fiji too.

The new Buca Bay Road he adds creates opportunities for businesses and investors that make the surrounding land more desirable and worth more money.

He said one option might be to go into the business of being landlords themselves rather than leasing their land to others, be it for commercial, residential or tourism projects.

“If elected in the upcoming election, my Government will set aside $10million to help the iTaukei develop their lands for subdivision.”

This initiative he said would encourage landowners to reap direct commercial benefits from their land. “The funding will be made available as a grant to assist landowners to meet development costs, such as the provision of electricity, water and roads.”

He said this initiative would not only empower the iTaukei but would also contribute to national economic development.

The first 10 kilometres of the planned 30-kilometre sealed Buca Bay Road, which starts in Nagigi and will soon continue all the way to Kasavu. The total value of the project is estimated at around $40-million and is expected to be fully completed by May 2015.

Feedback: seruwaia.waqasaqa@fijisun.com.fj