The Ministry of Local Government and Housing is moving to formalise 48 informal settlements acquired under the informal settlement upgrading program, says Minister Maciu Nalumisa.
“Part of my strategy is to formalise some of these informal settlements, so that’s what we have been doing,” he said.
“What the ministry is now working on is trying to formalise 48 settlements that were acquired under the informal settlement upgrading programme.
“So that is fully funded by the ministry.”
He said the plan was long term and depended on completing four settlements annually.
“From 2023, so, gradually, the next 12 years, now if you continue like four every year, we’ll be able to at least formalise those settlements.”
The ministry’s formalisation work includes securing land tenure, improving access to services and ensuring households can remain on the land legally.
Mr Nalumisa said the long-term goal was to ensure families currently living in uncertainty were given stability and proper titles under a government-funded programme.
He said the ministry had identified settlements that met the criteria for formalisation, including location, land status, and the ability to provide basic infrastructure once the legal processes were completed.
The program forms part of the ministry’s wider plan to ease pressure on housing demand across urban centres, particularly in the Suva area.
He said the ministry would continue working with department of Lands and TLTB to progress the formalisation timeline.
