Fiji squatters receive titles to land

LAUTOKA – After recently giving out land titles to 40 squatters in Lautoka, Fiji’s government says it will extend the same status to residents in 16 more squatter settlements over the next two years.

According to the People’s Community Network Fiji, there are about 230 squatter settlements in Fiji.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says the government is committed to what he calls “regularising” 50 squatter settlements in the country.

Late last month at a ceremony held at the Field 40 Hindu temple, Bainimarama said that handing out the land titles fulfilled an election promise by Fiji First to develop more state land for squatter development.

He said the government would redevelop Field 40, the first of 50 such settlements to be given proper amenities such as piped water, proper sewerage and power, and the squatters given leases.

“When you have these approval notices to lease, you cannot be evicted. For the next 99 years, the law says that you are entitled to the lots you have been allocated. Land that you live on,” the prime minister told the squatters.

The government says although Bainimarama announced they would undertake this process at just 50 settlements, it will continue to work through every squatter settlement in the country.

It says this is in accordance with section 35 of the constitution which provides every Fiji citizen the right to housing and sanitation.

Bainimarama says the security of tenure will give former squatters more opportunities.

“You will be able to mortgage the lease to get loans from commercial banks to build better homes – you will have access to your superannuation fund to build better homes or apply through government’s popular housing grant to build your first home.”

Kevin Barr, from the People’s Community Network, says squatter settlements are a continuing major issue for the country as they are home to around 20 per cent of Fiji’s population.

“Some of them are big ones accommodating about 800-900 families, others are smaller and accommodate only about forty or fifty. But altogether, our work is showing about 230 squatter settlements throughout the whole country.”

Barr says there is concern squatters who receive land titles from the government, will eventually sell them and end up in other settlements.

He says he hopes the agreements prohibit people from selling their land for a certain period of time.

“It’s happened already here in a couple of other parts where government in past years, has given people the title to the land – they’ve built a house and then after a few years they sell it off and get the money and they don’t always go to a better situation.”

The government has given no indication yet as to when they will extend the leasing arrangements and amenities to the other 50 settlements.

- RNZI