Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka states he has been passionately advocating for the Great Council of Chiefs or Bose Levu Vakaturaga committee to expand its scope.

He says he wants them to focus on crafting robust economic strategies that will uplift the iTaukei community.

Speaking on Radio Fiji One’s “Na Noda Paraiminisita” program, he cited the presence of the iTaukei Trust Fund and Fijian Holdings Limited and stressed their crucial role in these deliberations.

These entities he argues should have an active presence in Bose Levu Vakaturaga meetings to collaboratively devise avenues that bolster iTaukei participation in Fiji’s economy while simultaneously amplifying their assets and earnings.

“Fiji is behind in terms of changing and amending its laws because we are too reliant on the laws that were developed in the colonial era, like the British law systems. This is in terms of the governance of land and other natural resources that the indigenous people own.”

Fresh from a recent visit to Papua New Guinea, Rabuka draws attention to the economic advancements in the region.

He says the indigenous landowners’ remarkable progress is exemplified by their ownership of prominent hotels in Port Moresby, complemented by astute strategies for economic growth, including investments in gold mines.

The revelation of natural gas reserves propels their trajectory further, underpinned by the formulation of protective legal measures.

However, Rabuka reflects on Fiji’s lag in adapting its legal frameworks to contemporary demands.

Rabuka pledges to spearhead efforts to modernize these laws, aligning them with Fiji’s evolving needs, as part of the nation’s commitment to sustainable development.

Speaking directly to the indigenous iTaukei community, Rabuka calls for astute resource management in the face of rising living costs.

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