An academic expert on indigenous affairs in Fiji says unused land could be put to better use in a Land Bank, leaving landowners better off financially.
The interim regime's Land Use Decree has established a land bank and a land use unit to administer leases of land put into it by landowners for commercial use.
The University of the South Pacific's sociolinguistics professor, Dr Paul Geraghty, says a lot of land that's now idle used to be leased out for sugar cane farming.
He says part of making such land attractive for investors is offering leases for an extended period, as long as landowners are fully aware of and agree to the terms.
"The main thing is to bear in mind the interest of the landowners and if its carried out in that fashion, then I think it will be an improvement, because they are looking for a way to market this land and many or most landowners are not familiar with the ins and outs of leasing their land."
The USP's Dr Paul Geraghty
