Office bearers sent home

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Fiji Pine Trust office bearers have been sent home after the board of trustees noted serious breaches and alleged abuse which failed to serve landowners over the past years.

As a result, the chairman of the Fiji Pine Trust board of trustees, Taniela Nakibo, said a reform would happen to ensure landowners were better served.

“During the consultations carried out by the Pine Group with the pine landowners, serious concerns were raised by the pine landowners on the governance issues within Fiji Pine Trust and the lack of landowner-based services for which Fiji Pine Ltd contracted Fiji Pine Trust to carry out,” he said.

“Fiji Pine Ltd paid an annual grant of $300,000 under an agreement to Fiji PineTrust to carry out landowner- based services which include landowner consultation, dissemination of information regarding the industry, landowner business development training, dispute resolution.

“Based on serious governance issues within the trust, the Pine Group,  through the feedback from the landowners, found that these services were not being performed.

“Therefore, to ensure that our landowner-based services are provided, the Pine Group has taken this role by itself.”

Mr Nakibo said the board of trustees further noted serious breaches of the trust rules, by which the trust was governed.

“These breaches led to the abuse within the trust and its failure to perform landowner-based services.

The grant that was paid to Fiji Pine Trust was not utilised  for landowner services but was mainly used for  personal expenses,” he said.

“The board of trustees has called a thorough audit of the affairs of the trust and a complete reform in accordance with the trust rules.

“These reforms are being carried out in collaboration with the Pine Group and the Ministry of Forests. At the end of this process, Fiji Pine Ltd will enter into a new agreement with the trust for the landowner services aspect.”

Mr Nakibo assured landowners the reforms would improve services, good governance and transparent systems and processes.

“The pine landowners are kept informed of the progress to ensure that the concerns that they raised are addressed. We are already seeing great positivity among our landowners and our relationship with the pine industry has never been this strong,” he said.

“We are seeing great times ahead for our landowners with the way the Pine Group is being managed and, most importantly, the landowners are actively involved in information sharing and feedback. Many new benefits are being realised by our landowners through these reforms.”

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