The iTaukei Affairs Board has declared another eight two iTaukei settlement s as villages following consultations with the residents in the respective provinces.

Permanent Secretary for iTaukei affairs, Savenaca Kaunisela says the people are consulted as part of the process of demarcating villages.

‘’The impact of climate change especially if they are too near the coast or the rivers where there is risk of landslides. So we will tell them ok, there is a risk of landslide in this area and we will leave it to them to decide where to demarcate or to agree which particular area to move, either a little bit inland or a little bit out of the banks of the river or inland’’.

Kaunisela says another factor taken into consideration is the increase in population in the settlements earmarked for demarcation.

Prime Minister and chairperson of the board, Voreqe Bainimarama has approved a total of 26 villages in Namosi Province.

Twenty-four are in Serua Province and 32 are in Rewa Province.
The new villages are listed in the government gazette.