Landowners In the West Share Mixed Views on Lease Money Distribution
TSome of the commitments of the Vanua, the Chief cannot cater it alone. So when there is an equal contribution all the members of the mataqali and the vanua contributed to fund it
hree landowners in the West have shared opposing views on the equal distribution of lease money. As the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) undergoes a review that will likely see the policy being scrapped, Nabou landowner, Taniela Nakibo, said the current policy should remain.
“All the mataqali members received that distribution equally. All the members can access it through the trust account.”
He said only the chiefs and head of clans benefitted from the hierarchy structure.
“Before the equal distribution was implemented (prior to January, 2011), only the chiefs and the Turaga ni Mataqali received a large amount of money.”
“We have seen that only the chiefs benefitted from that fund and they used it for their own gain.
“Some of the commitments of the vanua, the chief cannot cater it alone. So when there is an equal contribution all the members of the mataqali and the vanua contributed to fund it.”
However, Mr Nakibo, uderstood the Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu’s justification that it must to go the mataqali (clan) to fund village development projects. “When lease money is distributed to mataqali members, people prefer the trust account,” he said.
“Because there are commitments and also projects for the mataqali and for the vanua that only what has been invested in the trust account can fund,” Mr Nakibo added.
Hierarch structure preference
Vitogo Village Headman, Ratu Napolioni
Waqanivavalagi, said they preferred the hierarchy structure than the current policy.
“I suggested that if the
Government could look at the percentage of distribution given to the
Turaga ni Yavusa, the
Turaga ni mataqali as it was done before,” he said.
“The rest of the mataqali members can share the rest of the contribution.
“The current policy for a child to reach the age of 18 and can access that fund. I can say that most of the young people who have received that fund have misused it.”
Equal distribution not fair
Another landowner, Penasio Bole, said the equal contribution of lease money was not fair.
“A lot of members who haven’t been to the village since their birth and those who have not contributed to the vanua were given the lease money,” he said.
Mr Bole claimed that in some cases, the mataqali wasn’t even aware of members, supposedly written under the Vola Ni Kawa Bula, had received their share.
“It is not fair at all when only some of us carry the load of the vanua and others do not.
“Before, the lease money used to come through the trust account of the mataqali.
“Some of our houses in the village come from that lease money from our trust account.”
The current policy for a child to reach the age of 18 and can access that fund. I can say that most of the young people who have received that fund have misused it. Ratu Napolioni Waqanivavalagi Vitogo Village Headman