NADARIVATU landowner Pauliasi Matawalu is seeking full support from the Government to build the Qaliwana hydro project on his land.
Mr Matawalu told the recent Meet the Press event in Ba that his community was unhappy with the returns from land previously given to major energy projects.
”We also had land given to Monasavu, about 1000 acres, and also the Nadarivatu Dam we gave a couple of 1000 acres and we were getting peanuts from there,” he said.
“We’ve had enough of EFL (Energy Fiji Ltd).”
Mr Matawalu explained that his community now wished to undertake the project independently.
”So that is why we want to build them ourselves. We have everything done and we just need full support from the Government.”
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka responded by stating that the Government would need Mr Matawalu’s proposal, complete with technical details, to source funds for cooperation.
Mr Rabuka confirmed the Government’s interest in such renewable ventures.
”We are trying to switch from fuel-generated energy to renewable energy sources,” said Mr Rabuka.
“That will be so that we can take it up with the Ministry of the Environment. We can take it up to the climate funding people and make the proposal, but we need to see the proposal.”
Landowners query waiver on tenant’s lease
A LANDOWNER trustee from Ba has raised concerns about the iTaukei Land Trust Board waiving a tenant’s lease arrears without the consent of the landowning unit.
Farmer and Tokatoka trustee Sitiveni Limanisa told the recent Meet the Press event in Ba that a tenant on a land owned by his trust was allegedly not paying their lease.
“I had left my queries with the TLTB last year, to date there hasn’t been any response from them,” he said.
“Its passed a year, a Indo-Fijian man is leasing our land and has not been paying his lease, his sugarcane is going to FSC but (the lease) isn’t being paid.”
Mr Limanisa claimed that after following up this year, he was informed that the TLTB CEO waved the lease.
“This is happening in Ba, why is the TLTB CEO waiving the lease? “We took this up with the Lautoka manager (TLTB), we opened the file and no consent letter from us, the landowners, was there but the tender was there.”
A representative from TLTB acknowledged the issue, stating that there had been a meeting with Mr Limanisa this week regarding the matter.
“The first one in terms of the arrears that was waived, there was a team that was doing the arrears drive. I think they mistakenly waived the tenant and we have advised him that we have currently written a letter requesting for the rent to be reinvoiced again,” the representative said.
Transport and Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau commented on the issue, saying that the important issue was consent, and that the matter would be raised with the line minister.
Skill loss stalls works
THE extension of the national electricity grid and other public works projects is being affected by the loss of skilled manpower and difficulties in the procurement process, says Transport and Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau.
Speaking during a recent “Meet the Press” Event in Ba, Ro Filipe highlighted the two main challenges the Government faced in carrying out infrastructure improvement works.
“Some of the issues we currently face include the loss of skilled manpower to carry out these works, and number two is the procurement process in terms of the materials we need,” he said.
Ro Filipe added timelines were often dictated by factors outside the country, compounded by contractor performance issues.
7 families in dark, seek help
ABOUT seven to eight families at Kasita Settlement, Ba are living without electricity.
This was revealed by resident Mukesh Chandra during the recent Meet the Press event in Ba.
Mr Chandra said promises of electricity from the previous government had not been fulfilled.
“We have been promised from the previous government that we will be given electricity but to date nothing has been done,” he said.
“We need electricity to be installed in seven families that is in my community.”
In response, Director Energy Mikaele Belena assured Mr Chandra the Government would assist the residents.
