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Some Fijians are accumulating properties in the informal settlements and renting them out to make easy money.

While it has been an ongoing issue, Local Government Minister Premila Kumar confirms there are now sixteen houses in the Waidamudamu settlement in Nausori which have been rented out.

She says they have discovered that the owner of these houses do not stay in the area but are earning income ranging from $400 to $600 through rent.

“There is a lot of policing going on. We have also seen informal settlements, there are people who are making money out of it so when you see an informal settlement you should not feel that all these people living in the informal settlement are extremely poor people, vulnerable people who have no place to live. In fact, some of them have come from the village, where they own a house but they have moved into the informal settlement, similarly, people coming from the Western and Northern division, they have rented their house but are living in an informal settlement.”

The Minister says this unethical practices is not fair as those renting their property in informal settlements are taking advantage of the vulnerable.

Kumar says they are on the verge of completing the subdivision in the Waidamudamu settlement.