Landowners have been urged to fully utilize the Land Bank and also make use of government initiatives.

Permanent Secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources, Malakai Finau, says the Land Bank is designed for the benefit of the landowners.

The Land Bank or government has no right to take any land away from iTaukei landowners and Finau says everything is set up to further develop landowners.

“Before we have only one agency looking after the leasing of land now we have another agency. So at the end of the day it’s the landowners who get better returns for their land.”

Finau says they will continue to create awareness on how the Land Bank can be used and at the same time safeguard land for the people.