Update: 1:18PM FIJI’S Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama officially launched the Natogadravu sub-division project this morning, one he celebrated as a bold community step.

A step, he said the community was making to take full control of their destiny by opening up their land for their own benefit and that of the Fijian people.

Also, in a show of Government’s full support, the PM also announced it would make the first repayment of $474,400 of the total $727,290 loan borrowed from the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) to finance the project.

Mr Bainimarama said that first repayment would come out of the iTaukei Land Development allocation in the 2017-2018 National Budget – an allocation that the Government set aside to assist iTaukei landowners to develop their own land and keep the benefits directly themselves.