Competing Interests Over Yaqara Leave Ministry With Hands Full: Minister
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO DEVELOP IN FIJI SUN ON JANUARY 9, SAYS JONE USAMATE
The Ministry of Lands has its hands full over competing interests over the proposed development of “Yaqara City”, in Ra.
Minister for Lands, Jone Usamate, confirmed the matter.
“There are competing interests for
Yaqara that the ministry has been dealing with,” he said, in response to queries over plans to boost the economy in Yaqara,” he said..
“Several expressions of interests have been received by the department to develop the site that is available. Those that have shown interest are both local and foreign investors.
“As per the policy of the Ministry and according to regulations to ensure fairness and transparency, the advertisement of the subject land will be placed in the Fiji Sun on January 9, 2021.
“All expression of interests to develop the subject site will go through a thorough and stringent process as per policies of the Ministry.”
When it first started
In 2000, major plans were unveiled for the development of “Studio City” in Yaqara. This was to be a global centre for the production and distribution of film, television, music, computer software and ecommerce.
The then Mahendra Chaudhryled Labour government had then ordered Yaqara Pastoral Company Limited to surrender 5500 acres of the land lease to Yaqara Group Limited.
Yaqara Group Limited was initially established to develop a 5500acre site for a state-of-the-art studio city.
A business consortium led by Philip Gerlach, Lyndon Driscoll and Frank Yourn, who combined extensive experience in Fiji with the entertainment, computer and IT industries, worked closely with the Chaudhry government.
This was done through a Government Task Force chaired by Jesoni Vitusagavulu, chief executive of the Fiji Trade and Investment Board, to establish the industry in Fiji.
Paradise Entertainment
A Fiji-registered company, Paradise Entertainment Limited, was formed by the consortium for the development of the Studio City. It had been granted a foreign investment licence as the Studio City Company to manage, develop and promote the City and the AudioVisual Industry in Fiji.
Paradise Entertainment Limited is the holding company of a diverse group of companies that engages in casino management, and development, supply and leasing of game machinery and equipment.
The company was said to be based in Hong Kong, but at the time had its local headquarters at Suva Point, Suva.
They planned to develop the site for its Studio City project, but had been forced to halt work because of the land dispute.
Paradise Entertainment’s former executive chairman, Philip Gerlach, said he had resigned in 2006, 12 months before it closed.
Though the 5500 acres of land held a half Crown and half Nativelease tenure.
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