Fiji's longstanding land lease problem, which has held the economy in check, may close to a resolution.
This follows significant changes in the position of the Native Land Trust Board on terms and conditions for leasing land owned by indigenous Fijians.
The NLTB has offered to grant 50-year farm leases in place of the previous 30-year terms in return for other changes to land lease legislation.
These include a requirement that the state pay all premiums for lease renewals and a change to rental terms so that landowners receive higher returns.
The prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, says while the government is prepared to consider this, it has yet to make a decision.
He says it's important to find some guiding principles to ensure fairness and equity between the landlords and the tenants.
In recent years, the NLTB has refused to renew leases under the current Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act, resulting in more than 3-thousand farmers becoming displaced and a sharp decline in sugar cane production.
Uncertainty about the future of leases has also held back investment.
