The National Federation Party (NFP) has proposed reviving its long-standing Master Lease concept, arguing it remains the most practical solution to Fiji’s long-running issue of expiring agricultural leases.
In its submission to the Constitution Review Commission (CRC), the party said the problem of expiring agricultural land leases has persisted for generations and has historically been addressed through negotiation and consensus between governments, landowners and tenant representatives.
The NFP traced the evolution of agricultural lease reforms, noting that under its founding leader A.D. Patel, the party negotiated the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (ALTO) in 1966, which introduced 10-year leases.
A decade later, under Opposition leader Siddiq Koya, the NFP negotiated the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act (ALTA), increasing the minimum lease term to 30 years.
Following the adoption of the 1997 Constitution, the party said a Joint Parliamentary Select Committee was established to seek a long-term solution to expiring leases through cooperation between the then Opposition, led by Jai Ram Reddy, and the SVT Government led by Sitiveni Rabuka.
Before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 1999 General Election, the NFP proposed the Master Lease model.
Under the proposal, Government would lease agricultural land from the iTaukei Land Trust Board, the State and owners of freehold agricultural land at 10 per cent of the Unimproved Capital Value (UCV) before subleasing it to farmers at 6 per cent UCV.
The leases would initially run for 50 years.
The party said the proposal also incorporated a mechanism suggested by then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, whereby tenants would be informed during the 25th year of the lease whether landowners intended to reclaim the land.
If the landowners required the land, tenants would have 25 years to prepare to relocate before the lease expired.
If the land was not required, the lease would automatically be extended by another 25 years, creating a total tenure of 75 years.
The NFP said it continues to believe the proposal remains highly relevant.
“We still believe that the concept of Master Lease is still highly relevant.”
The party has recommended that Government obtain all iTaukei, State and freehold agricultural land under a Master Lease arrangement, pay landowners at 10 per cent UCV, lease the land to tenants at 6 per cent UCV, provide an initial 50-year lease, and allow an automatic 25-year extension where landowners do not require the land for future use.
The NFP said the proposal would provide greater certainty for farmers while protecting the rights of landowners through a structured and predictable lease renewal process.
