Lands Ministry Ashneel Sudhakar

The Lands Ministry has paid out more than five-million dollars in Mineral Royalty Fair Share to three landowning units with 350 landowners in the last six months.

Minister Ashneel Sudhakar highlighted this during his ministerial speech on the Land Bank initiative.

Sudhakar says all land deposited in the Land Bank and later determined as a prospect site for mining will receive similar fair share royalty payout.

He also assured land owners that their lands will be put to good use.

“The Bainimarama government will ensure that any landowning unit which deposit their lands into the bank will reap the rewards handsomely. One of the successful project is the first premium the land rent payment to Mataqali Volivoli of Ketei village in Savusavu for their 100 acres of land deposited in the land bank. The Minister in December 2019 presented a cheque of $115, 700 to the five of the 14 subsistence agriculture lots. The progressive payments for the remaining nine lots will be paid out as and when received”.

Sudhakar has also assured landowners that the state is not taking away any land.