Gone are the days when people in Ba and other areas will have to travel to Lautoka to access iTaukei Land Trust Board services.

This has been made easier for residents after the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, yesterday opened the board’s sub regional office in Ba. The office will have 12 senior staff members.

The Prime Minister is in the Western Division holding a three-day public consultation to address issues regarding iTaukei land, leases and the sugar industry. The consultations started on Wednesday and end today.

He said the board had taken the decision to set up their new office in Ba after recognising the many opportunities available in the area.

“The Ba sub regional office will make life much easier for you and for landowners and we now have the best opportunities to utilise our land given the full services and support,” Mr Bainimarama said.

Ba is the largest province in Fiji, which covers an area of 358,000 acres of land with only 32 per cent being leased out.

“It is an agricultural centre where sugar cane has long been the mainstay of the local economy with some manufacturing projects, which have also been established over the years,” Mr Bainimarama said.

Looking at the vast land areas of the 432 landowning units, Mr Bainimarama said vast unused land that Ba had was apparent.

“At the same time it presents us to the opportunity to take advantage of the Tax Free Zone and come up with a land utilisation plan to benefit landowners,” Mr Bainimarama said.

The nine districts between Lautoka City and Rakiraki Town would be the area of operation for this new office, including the districts of Nailaga, Bulu, Tavua, Qaliyalatina, Nalotawa, Magodro, Nalovo, Savatu and Nadrau.

It is the first TLTB office in Ba in the 77-year history of the board.

Today, the PM’s consultations will be at Khatri Hall, Tavua at 10am; and 3pm at the Post Office Grounds in Rakiraki.

Edited by Naisa Koroi