FOR MOAPE BATIGAI, SUCCESS DOES NOT COME OVERNIGHT
February 12, 2026
TLTB NEGOTIATED THE RETURN OF PART OF UNUSED ITAUKEI LAND UNDER THE CATCHMENT LEASE AFTER 17 YEARS
February 19, 2026The Minister for iTaukei Affairs and Chairman of the TLTB Board of Trustees, Hon. Ifereimi Vasu, yesterday (10 February 2026) officiated at the handover ceremony of a 9-tonne dumper truck to Naiyalasa Investment Pte Ltd, a company fully owned by the Mataqali Naiyalasa, Yavusa Nakurukruvakatini of Naraiyawa Village in Namosi.
The truck was purchased through the TLTB’s Taukei Development Fund Facility (TDFF) under a loan arrangement requiring no deposit with an interest rate of 2.5 percent.
In his speech, Hon. Vasu said that the development of our resources requires both capital and knowledge, encouraging the Mataqali to seek support from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and TLTB. He added that that such support would enable the Mataqali to advance their business and entrepreneurial activities, and at the same easing traditional responsibilities to the vanua, lotu, and matanitu.
During the Talanoa session following the handover, CEO Mr. Solomone Nata took the opportunity to reaffirm the TLTB’s new business direction. He expressed his gratitude for the dedication and hard work of the Mataqali, noting that their achievements serve as a strong example for others to follow—particularly the three villages of Naraiyawa, Naqarawai, and Wainimakutu.
Located in the interior of Namosi, Naraiyawa Village sits at the border of Naitasiri, Navosa, and Namosi—one of the most rugged areas in the highlands of Viti Levu. Despite its remote setting, the community has established Naiyalasa Investment Pte Ltd which now operates as the commercial arm of the Mataqali Naiyalasa.
The company specializes in the production of dalo, cassava and other short-term cash crops, and is driven by the collective efforts of youths, women, and men of the Mataqali.
The company has already acquired a digger to support land development. The company holds an agricultural lease covering 46.36 hectares of land, valued at $250,000, with a primary focus on supplying dalo, cassava and vegetables—crops in high demand. Naiyalasa Investment also owns a 4-ton Isuzu truck and an excavator, both of which are actively used as income-generating assets for the Mataqali.
Few months back Mr Nata officiated the handing over of farming assistance close to $200,000 in costs to 32 farmers at Wainimakutu village, about two (2) miles down the road from Naraiyawa, to Mataqali Naleya, Yavusa Naleya.
The opening of the TLTB fortnightly service office at Dada, Namosi is having domino effect in land utilisation and business ventures in such remote area.
