Tupou confused about Land Bank

Timoci Gaunavinaka, Nausori

HOPE leader and president Tupou Draunidalo should do her research properly before answering questions on TV and misleading people.

On the question about the Land Bank, she stated that all iTaukei who deposit their land with the land bank will have their land locked up for 99 years.

But in fact the land bank can lease land for as short as three months, one year, five years, 15 years and so on. The maximum possible term is 99 years.

The “Survivor” series that was shot in Fiji leased over 10 acres of land via the Land Bank for just three months and paid landowners over $30,000. There are currently those who are leasing for 5 years, 15 years and so forth depending on what purpose the lease is for.

The Land Bank is today assisting iTaukei land owners with limited land to buy back their land that have been converted to Freehold during the colonial era. Unlike TLTB, the Land Bank paid landowners the current market value for their land which is much higher than the TLTB rates.

To get a Lease Title from TLTB takes about 12 months. Investors with multi-million dollars to invest cannot wait that long. The clause in the Land Bank lease giving no option for landowners to take the investors to court is done to attract investors and safeguard their interest.

There is more than a hundred cases in Police records over the years where NLTB / TLTB leases were illegally road-blocked by landowners because of various grievances. Many investors have lost millions of dollars in such processes. That clause is therefore made to ensure that landowners seek all legal advice before committing to such agreements.

The bulk of landowners who have their land leased under the Land Bank are enjoying the proceeds of their lease today. There are even candidates standing for the NFP and SODELPA in this year's General Election whose lands or those of their clients are deposited at the Land Bank. Ms Draunidalo said that she will remove the Land Bank and all the good work they have done to our kawa iTaukei if she wins the election.

What has she done for our kawa iTaukei compared to the Land Bank ?