Fiji Academic says NLTB exploits tenants
Date sent: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 14:20:36 +1200
PEOPLE'S COALITION GOVERNMENT, FIJI Issue No: 441 2 February 2001
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Academic says NLTB exploits tenants
A University of the South Pacific academic Dr. Mahendra Reddy claims that the NLTB systematically exploits tenant
farmers.
In an article published in today's Daily Post, Dr. Reddy stated that the NLTB had devised numerous mechanisms to extract
money from tenant farmers.
These included asking for premiums for leases which range between $5,000-$8000 for residential leases and between $6,000
to $15,000 for agricultural leases; demanding that tenants get consent from landowners who again demand goodwill money
and premium directly; demanding that tenants pay $1,000/acre for compensation for deterioration of soil quality; any by
dividing rural leases into residential and agricultural leases thereby getting two sets of premiums, goodwill money, and
rent from the same family.
Dr. Reddy also recommended that the solution to the land problem in Fiji is for ethnic Indians to move out of
agriculture gradually. "It is in the national interest that Indo-Fijian farmers leave agricultural land and this just
can not happen overnight. Rather, it is a gradual process an dit requires a transition period", he wrote.
Earlier the NFP and the Fiji cane growers association, which was formed by the NFP, endorsed the NLTB's actions and
plans.
END