Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama handed over 623 acres of land back to the Nasuva clan in Welagi, Taveuni [Source: Fijian Government]

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama handed over 623 acres of land back to the Nasuva clan in Welagi, Taveuni yesterday.

The land in question has been bought back by the clan with no interest charged.

Over 600 acres of land handed back to Nasuva clan [Source: Fijian Government]

While applauding the villagers for making payments before the contracted time, Bainimarama says it’s an investment they’ve made to buy back the land their ancestors once called home.

The Prime Minister says it is sad to note that during the time of European settlement and the colonial government in Fiji a number of bad land deals were done, where landowning units were taken advantage of and manipulated.

He says large tracts of iTaukei land were sold off or exchanged for amounts far below their true value.

Bainimarama says, however, the iTaukei land is no longer under threat due to the Fijian Constitution.

He stresses the Constitution for the first time ever establishes, permanent and unwavering protection of iTaukei land ownership.

Over 600 acres of land handed back to Nasuva clan [Source: Fijian Government]

“Now that we finally have those protections in place, no longer will we hear stories like that of the Yavusa Nasuva. No longer is iTaukei land under threat. And, importantly, no longer is the fate of entire communities dictated by the whims of a privileged few.”

The Prime Minister says with the Fijian economy’s unbroken growth the government is empowering the iTaukei people to ride the wave of this success by assisting with the development of iTaukei land.