Land title delays stall property deals across Fiji: Report

Fijians are waiting more than 90 working days to process land titles due to outdated paper-based systems, creating a governance bottleneck that is undermining property rights and deterring investment.

This was highlighted in the Final Report on Fiji's Law and Justice Sector, which identifies the Registrar of Titles as a high-risk area requiring urgent reform.

"Delays in land title processing often exceed 90 working days, exacerbated by analog workflows and an absence of clear adjudication protocols," the report states.

The problem affects ordinary Fijians trying to buy or sell property, businesses seeking to secure loans using land as collateral, and investors looking to establish operations in Fiji.

Current manual processes mean documents can be lost, misplaced or delayed at various stages, with no digital tracking system to monitor progress.

The lack of clear procedures for resolving disputes further compounds delays, leaving applicants in limbo for months.

Digital overhaul

A comprehensive digital transformation of the Registrar of Titles is planned for early 2027, introducing biometric identification and mobile title registration platforms.

The reforms will also include legislative changes to support digitisation and establish time-benchmarked processing standards.

Urban and peri-urban land titles will be prioritised first, with maritime registries to follow in a phased rollout by mid-2028.

The Ministry of Justice is leading the modernisation effort with support from Digital Fiji, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Once implemented, applicants will be able to track their applications online and receive updates via mobile phones.

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