4 Jan 2011

Changes to Fiji lease payments

11:48 am on 4 January 2011

Chiefs and commoners in Fiji are to receive the same amount in lease payments.

The interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama said in his address to mark the start of a New Year that for many decades the use and distribution of lease monies has been politicised.

He said disparities and differences had been created among members of land owning units, tainting the chiefly system by monetary considerations.

He says this will change to encourage economic empowerment and thee will be no distinction in each land owning unit between commoners and chiefs.

The new law of equal distribution of lease monies came into effect on January the 1st.