Bainimarama says this has matched the record setting payment that was distributed last year. He says it’s hard to believe that the first lease bonus payment in 2013 stood at $350,000, and today only five years later, this payment stands at more than four times that amount.
Bainimarama says Fiji Pine is currently in the midst of a massive capital construction programme to upgrade their major infrastructure and bring modern, state-of-the-art factory facilities to service our Pine Industry.
The Prime Minister says his proud to see that even while carrying out such a capital-intensive agenda, Fiji Pine Group still kept faith with the landowners through the 1.5 million dollar bonus payment.
Bainimarama says since 2011, every year, they have seen the Fiji Pine Group surpass its performance and strengthen its relationship with our landowners to turn the industry into an unqualified success story.
Meanwhile, Bainimarama also officially opened a brand new $3.6 million water treatment plant at Fiji Pine and highlighted that they now have successfully upgraded 85 per cent of Fiji Pine’s infrastructure assets that were in dire need of repair.
Bainimarama then said that he would ask that someone to please inform the members of the Opposition of just how well the pine Industry is doing because he says they badly need to be told.
He says maybe if the Opposition had some idea of what they have achieved the opposition would stop spreading so many lies within the iTaukei community.
Bainimarama says even if they did understand the facts, they will probably still find it hard to tell the truth, because unfortunately for them, the truth is completely at odds with every doomsday prediction they have had for the industry, and every one of their attempts to deceive the Fijian people.
The Prime Minister says time and time again they have heard them claim that iTaukei land in Fiji is at-risk, that the landowners are not secure but the facts on that are clear.
He says not one inch of iTaukei land has been lost under the government and the fact is they have a Constitution that enshrines the ownership and protection of iTaukei land.
Bainimarama says the opposition claimed his government was going to take land away from landowners if they did not renew their leases.
He says the facts are clear and the landowners are renewing their leases because they are choosing to do so, because they see the potential in the industry that they are all working to realise.
He says the fact is, they have not taken anyone’s land by force, and they never will.
Bainimarama says they are empowering the landowners so they can get the most out of their land and from their lands’ resources.
-Fiji Village
