[File Photo]

The Bose ni Vanua o Lau has called for the Great Council of Chiefs to urgently remove the Fiji Mahogany Development Act.

Representative Solo Nata, while making submissions to the GCC review committee, claims the law has more power than the iTaukei Land Trust Board, forestry, and the Environment Management Act.

Nata says there is an urgency to remove the act and hand it over to the Fiji Mahogany Cooperation Limited to take care of the mahogany industry.

“It’s a bad law since there was no consultation, no transparency, but you have only three people to deal with the mahogany industry, which is the Prime Minister, Attorney General, Minister of Forestry, and of course the inclusion of the chairman for the trusts.”

He also stressed the need for the TLTB to take care of the leases and the Environment Management Act for issues pertaining to natural resources.

The submission also includes a call to review the Fiji Pine Act since it has similar issues.