Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Professor Biman Prasad.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Professor Biman Prasad, revealed that the Ministry of Land and Mineral Resources had received an average of $25 million per year over the last six years, totaling approximately $155 million in budget.

However, the ministry also faces a significant rental arrears debt of $23.8 million to the State.

He highlighted this yesterday during a Parliamentary debate on the ‘Review of the Consolidated Annual Reports for the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources’ 2014 and 2015.

“From the report that I’ve got, they were able to sort out 900 scheme plan applications, now that is very satisfying because a lot of these scheme plans we have heard stories in the past gets stuck and so I would say that the honorable minister for lands would continue with that committee.”

Opposition MP Mosese Bulitavu stressed the importance of developing the Vanua GIS, a Land Use Plan final product, to provide landowners with a clear understanding of the features of their land and the resources available.

Meanwhile, Lands Minister Filimoni Vosarogo reported that the ministry, in pursuit of a Cabinet decision from 2008 with an endorsement extension in 2021, is prioritizing the surveying of mahogany lots in agreement with the Fiji hardwood corporations.

Vosarogo cited examples such as Galoa, where 12 lots covering 7,382.3 hectares have already been surveyed, and Naboutini, where nine lots covering 4021 hectares have been surveyed and completed.

However, half of the 28 lots in Nukurua, covering a total of 5160 hectares, still need to be surveyed, along with a balance of 2660 hectares for Sawakasa’s 16 lots covering 4128 hectares.

Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya expressed support for the motion, noting the wealth of expertise and knowledge within the ministry.