Bulitavu: Empower iTaukei people
FIJIFIRST MP Mosese Bulitavu has called on the Great Council of Chiefs to focus on the economic empowerment of the iTaukei people.
While he agrees that the GCC must be independent, he believes political stability in Fiji can only be achieved if the iTaukei are economically empowered.
“They must be able to develop their resources and gain wealth from it or have good economic returns,” he said.
“While we agree that the GCC must be independent from the Government and be financially self-sufficient to fund itself, it must focus on the economic empowerment of the iTaukei people.
“If the GCC is dependent on the Government, then it will be subject to the ruling political party’s mandate. It makes it easily influenced.”
Mr Bulitavu said the GCC should prioritise the making of laws and policies that would enable the iTaukei to accelerate into the commercial sector and rise out of poverty.
“Past models like the late Qarase’s 50/50 by 2020 Blueprint for iTaukei attached the iTaukei under the Government’s responsibility.
“A better structure must make the GCC autonomous and slowly transfer the semi-autonomous model created by Sir Authur Gordon in 1879 to a self-governance model.
“This should not be seen as a separate State move, but a model where a national mainstream model could coexist with the affairs of the iTaukei community separately.”
Proprietary rights, he said, could be developed as long as it doesn’t weaken the State’s duty as protector of public interest.
“In addition, dangers like the iTaukei privately managing their resources can be controlled so that the iTaukei community doesn’t go landless or resourceless because of a sale.
“The security issues concerning proprietary rights can be managed.”