ACTING Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad yesterday told tenants of Toko in Tavua not to panic as the Government would resolve the 999-year lease issue.
Prof Prasad said there was a lot of confusion, some misinformation and some disinformation about the true picture that was now being proposed by the TLTB.
“Toko land lease is historical and started in 1907, and things have evolved over the years,” he said.
“The issue with respect to who are the 26 sub-lessees who have got a proper lease, and then I’m told that there are almost 126 subleases, and these are not proper leases.
“So, people are living there, and people have their houses and there are people doing their farming but there are no proper leases.
“Is that true?
“Some are proper leases. This is all the information that is going through.
“So, we have to find out what is the true picture and how we can resolve this.”
Prof Prasad said the process was started in 2015 under the FijiFirst government.
“And that process continued.
“This is what this Government and the TLTB are now dealing with.
“And going forward we want to look at carefully how these issues can be resolved, where the TLTB can provide the institutional backing, where the Government can come in and where the landowners are and the tenants, which means all of you.
“If it is necessary, whether it’s to do with financial resources, whether it’s to do surveying, whether it’s to do with other processes that might be involved, the Government will be involved in that process.
“So, today I want all of you to not panic, not go by what’s being told by people in different ways.
“We want to have a very clear picture of where we are on this before we make the final decision.”
