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Bill 17 will benefit landowners, says PM

July 26, 2021 4:40 pm

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. [Source: Fijian Government]

Opposition to Bill 17 is an attempt at political grandstanding says, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Speaking in parliament, Bainimarama who is also the Chair of the iTaukei Land Trust Board SODELPA’s attempts to derail the iTaukei Land Trust Amendment Bill is driven by politics and not the interest of landowners.

“They have been lying to the ordinary iTaukei people. It’s pathetic, it’s political and it’s a waste of the nation’s time. We should all be focused on beating the pandemic and reviving the economy through this Budget. But their entire party is built on scaring the iTaukei people into submission.”

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Bainimarama says the amendment will only remove red-tape and make iTaukei land more attractive to investors, urging landowners not to take the word of the Opposition as the gospel truth.

“It helps landowners generate more income. Unfortunately, we are up against an opposition that thinks “income” is a dirty word. They think “development” is a dirty word.”

The Prime Minister explains the changes only means that tenants don’t have to go running to the TLTB for every single development on their leased land.

The only Opposition MP to support the Bill is SODELPA’s Mosese Bulitavu.