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Fiji Pine: Keep dirty politics out of pine industry

August 18, 2014 7:05 pm

Fiji Pine Limited has expressed concern that some landowners are being misinformed that their land will be forcefully taken away by the government and this has resulted in reluctance by some to renew land leases.

Fiji Pine Limited Executive Chairman Faiz Khan says they lease 80,000 hectares of land in total and have managed to get 18,000 hectares of expiring leases renewed over the last three and a half years.

Khan says renewal of these leases was purely based on negotiations between landowners and Fiji Pine and has been possible through better policies where benefits to landowners has significantly increased through better profitability.

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He says however lately some landowners have refused to renew leases saying it’s to do with government policies on land claiming their land will be taken away by force.

“Mutual willingness between the landowners and Fiji Pine to enter into renewal of leases and this my landowner friends is going to be the basis upon which we continue to enjoy a successful future is the strength of our relationship, of our business relationship, of our personal relationship that is going to result in a sustainable and a fruitful long term future for us not any politics or rubbish.”

Khan adds they can’t call up government to forcibly take land away as claimed by some politicians.

He says they are requesting people to keep dirty politics out and that they should focus on facts and strengthen the relationship between Fiji Pine and its landowners.