Peceli Naviticoko 
Vatukoula mine.
Minister for Lands Filimoni Vosarogo has indicated that the government is ready to listen to the views of mineral resource owners.
Vosarogo says they will look at amending the law that governs land and fisheries royalty shares if need be.
This follows concerns raised by resource owners to the Great Council of Chiefs Review Committee, that they want full benefits from any mineral extraction from their land.
Vosarogo, in response, says this is impossible as the government still requires its shares as stipulated in the law.
“If this is the view commonly held by the landowners, then it will require an amendment to the law. When that happens, surely that’s going to be the result of all the proceeds going to those who own the surface. At the moment, with the law, they own the surface, and the states own everything beneath it, including minerals, so if that is going to happen, it will be by legislative mandate. There’s always going to be a part of that that comes to the government as the regulator; there’s always going to be a fee component to it.”
The minister says this could not be the case as the government needs to benefit as a regulator under the law.
Under Section 30(1) of the Constitution, the Mineral Royalty Bill of 2018 mandates that resource owners get 80 percent while the government gets 20 percent of any mineral royalty. Vosarogo reiterated that it is impossible for the state not to benefit from natural resources.
The GCC review public consultation continues in Nasova, Ovalau today.
