Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has reiterated that the Veiraisi Settlement land issue is clear and the Court has made its decision.

Mr Bainimarama said the Government could not do anything as the occupants had been ordered by the Court to move.

“A representative from the Office of the Prime Minister had tried to liaise with the Nasinu Land Purchase for the occupants of Veiraisi Settlement in Nadera to stay.

“Nasinu Land Purchase had bought land for them to move to. Some of them have moved where as some haven’t,” he said.

He has also said no one could purchase any land without the signatures of landowners.

Mr Bainimarama made these comments after a clan from Naitasiri claimed they did not sign any document for their land to be purchased.

They alleged that the land in Veiraisi was converted into a crown land then to freehold without their approval.

The land in Veiraisi was purchased by Nasinu Land Purchase.

Twelve families were evicted from the land last week, after the Civil High Court on June 24 had ordered the occupants of the Veiraisi Settlement to give the vacant possession to the Nasinu Land Purchase and Housing Cooperative Society Limited.

The court also ordered the executives for eviction to stay until July 8 to allow the occupants to find alternative accommodation.

Never Before

Yesterday, Mr Bainimarama launched the seven year strategic plan at the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs lounge in Nasova. He said

never before in Fiji’s history have the iTaukei people enjoyed such protection of their rights and op- portunities to succeed.

He said the Government ensured that no iTaukei had been left behind in progress and development.

He said iTaukei needed to remember that none of their greatest inheritance including land could ever be taken away from them.

“Unlike in times gone by, where the benefit of only a few elites was the norm, today every ordinary iTaukei woman, man, girl, and boy, enjoys the fruit of our nation’s progress and development,” he said.

“Lease monies are distributed equally. Appointments are based on merit. Assistance goes fairly to all who need it. And, unlike in the past, when iTaukei institutions operated in isolation from the workings of the wider economy, we are fully enlisting this Ministry and its supporting institutions into our overarching mission to create economic prosperity for all Fijians.”

Strategic Plan To Improve Services

The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and the iTaukei Affairs Board strategic plan for the year 2023 to 2030 streamline the two organisation processes to improve services to ordinary Fijians.

Mr Bainimarama said the strategic plan was good as it would help the two organisation in achieving results on the ground.

He said it gives him great pride to know that results are already speaking for themselves.

“As an example, in the last fortnight alone, I have opened three subdivisions in Namata, Tailevu, in Yadua, Nadroga, and in Vuda, Ba, belonging to iTaukei land- owning units and individuals,” he said.

“These subdivisions were fully developed by my Government at no cost to the landowners through the iTaukei Land Development Initiative; and include electricity, water, and paved road access.

“It is unheard of for a Fijian Government to come in, completely develop a piece of land and then hand it back to the landowner free of charge, to be used as a community cash-generating resource. And it is emblematic of our inclusive development approach.

“When we help develop iTaukei land, we not only create sustainable income for landowners, we create housing and raise the value of the land across the country for the benefit of every Fijian,” he said.

He said the iTaukei Land Trust Board Digital Platform and Online Marketplace launched last Friday was expected to improve lease processing times while driving up the value of land thereby benefitting landowners

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