Editorial: Your Land Is Secure, PM, President Tell iTaukei
We should all be proud that all Fijians are protected under the supreme law of the land, the 2013 Constitution.
For the iTaukei, the President – Major-General (Retired) Jioji Konrote – when opening Parliament on Monday said, “I am proud to say that our Constitution grants the strongest-ever protections of iTaukei land in Fijian history. Because of those protections, there is no way that iTaukei land in this country can ever be permanently taken or alienated”.
Under the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama-led FijiFirst Government not one square centimetre of iTaukei land has been lost.
He is on record when he said – “That Constitution cannot be violated, ever. It mandates every action of my Government and in the Constitution iTaukei land is protected for all time. Under past governments we saw iTaukei land being sold off entirely, lost forever from its rightful owners. Those days are over. Today, 91 per cent of land in Fiji is owned by the iTaukei and not one inch of that land has been lost under my leadership.”
The FijiFirst Government has taken down the old systems of control and privilege that kept resources in the hands of the few.
This had left the vast majority of iTaukei people cash poor, even though they held such valuable assets.
Under the FijiFirst Government land is no longer a political tool in Fiji. However, it is a source of prosperity, as it should be, and every day Government is assisting more iTaukei people to become more financially powerful by developing their land and making the most productive use of it possible.
We are also witnessing under this government the equal treatment of the iTaukei people.
Before chiefs were given the first opportunity and commoners would have to wait.
All iTaukei people are also entitled to the rights Government has always fought to uphold for all Fijians, including the right to access to free education, scholarships, tertiary education loans and access to roads, water, electricity, subsidised bus fares, free water and subsidised electricity to name a few.
With these unprecedented guarantees, Prime Minister Bainimarama says his Government wants to do more.
“We didn’t only want to protect the ownership of iTaukei land and the rights of the iTaukei, we wanted to do one better by providing a solid foundation for growth that would empower iTaukei people and that is what this project is all about.”
It is time that the iTaukei people make good use of their land.
Government has set up a fund specifically for the development of their lands to be used to bring money to them.
We’re happy that we have a Government that wants to work together with the iTaukei people to develop their land that is protected by the 2013 Constitution.
Many non iTaukei people are rich from the developments carried out on their land.
iTaukei people can follow suit and we have a Government that will help make this happen.
Feedback: maikab@fijisun.com.fj
MAIKA BOLATIKI
