Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

The Minister for Economy has highlighted government may soon consider selling neglected properties within municipalities.

Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum while speaking on the review of Fiji Public Trustee 2017 Annual Report says these are properties unused and not maintained for years.

Sayed-Khaiyum says some of these buildings have beneficiaries who do not agree on what needs to be done to the property.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the conditions of these properties have been left to deteriorate over the years.

“The beneficiaries of these properties, some are overseas some are here or even when family members live here that the beneficiaries don’t agree as to what to do with the property and the buildings actually deteriorate and becomes an eyesore.”

He says what other countries have done is step in and sell properties, which have become a public nuisance.

He says the liquid assets are then kept in the trust for the beneficiaries to sort it out themselves.

He says this way the property moves along and gets developed.

Sayed-Khaiyum has also called on property owners to seek help from Legal Aid for the drafting of wills, which makes easy the issue to be sorted.

The motion on the Fiji Public Trustee 2017 Annual Report was unanimously agreed upon.