THE iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has so far received over $1 million in premium from the issuance of development leases for squatter settlements around the country – a major commitment by the government through the Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Environment.
Deputy General Manager Operations, Research & Development (DGMORD) Mr Solo Nata said a total of 20 development leases had been issued to the Government to develop around 3,000 lots in Fiji.
Mr Nata said thegovernment would be responsible for the scheme preparation, engineering works and would pay for all othercapital costs involved.
THE iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has so far received over $1 million in premium from the issuance of development leases for squatter settlements around the country – a major commitment by the government through the Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Environment.
Deputy General Manager Operations, Research & Development (DGMORD) Mr Solo Nata said a total of 20 development leases had been issued to the Government to develop around 3,000 lots in Fiji.
Mr Nata said thegovernment would be responsible for the scheme preparation, engineering works and would pay for all othercapital costs involved.
DGMORD Mr Solo Nata receiving the cheque from Minister for Housing, Hon. Praveen Kumar
TLTB charge a premium of $3000 per acre and then an additional premium when lots are developed before issuing 99-year leases to occupants. The landowners will benefit from such premiums and annual rent for the leases subject to review after every
five years.
The informal settlements are formalised to meet health and sanitation standards when completed with considerations to be handed over to town councils as part of its municipal boundaries.
Providing formal titles and houses to squatters satisfies Chapter 2 Section 35 – Rights to Housing and Sanitation under the 2013 Constitution of Fiji.
The responsibilities of TLTB and other stakeholders in formalising vakavanua settlements or squatter settlements fulfill certain mission statements in our Strategic Corporate Plan 2017-2019 and that is to:
- Promote economic, environmental, socially and culturally sustainable land use practices and uphold sustainable
- development goals and other international conventions;
- Ensure the iTaukei landowners receive a fair market value for their land and resources. Furthermore, TLTB’s land use plans align itself directly to the Government’s National Land Use Plan, the Green Growth Framework and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that contains the following:
- The Urban Policy Action Plan specifies 7 main thematic areas which require TLTB’s commitmentgiven the organisation’s statutory role as the administrator of 91% of the land in Fiji.
- Respectively, TLTB’s fiduciary role as mandated under the TLTA (Cap 134) in ensuring appropriateadministration of iTaukei land, and the release of land by iTaukei landowners is undertaken through proper processes and utilised for its best and highest purpose