The Monasavu landowning community, including the Mataqali Vatuba, has expressed considerable dissatisfaction regarding the management of compensation payments for land utilized in the Monasavu Hydro Dam catchment area. Aisea Burelevu, the spokesperson for the landowners, has raised serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of the payment process.
According to Burelevu, the total compensation agreed upon amounts to $52.8 million, of which $5 million was deducted upfront by negotiator and lawyer Isireli Fa. The remaining funds are set to be disbursed to the landowners every six months over a staggering 99-year period. However, he emphasizes that the payments are alarmingly low; for instance, members of Mataqali Vatuba, which owns 2,457.65 acres, reportedly receive only $34.08 per payment cycle. After deducting a $10 cheque fee and $1.05 VAT, each member receives just $22.58 every six months.
Historically, the landowners were awarded a lump-sum settlement to resolve claims against Energy Fiji Limited, although the land has neither been formally leased nor sold, allowing for traditional usage to continue. Despite the substantial compensation amount, many landowners feel they have not experienced tangible benefits, with various fees and taxes further diminishing their payments.
Lawyer Isireli Fa clarified that their actions follow a court judgment, which allocated $5 million as a deposit and detailed a payment schedule that begins with an initial $9 million, followed by annual decrease in subsequent years. The Monasavu case has become a focal point in discussions about land rights, compensation, and the obligations of both government and negotiators to ensure just outcomes for indigenous landowners.
This situation highlights ongoing challenges faced by landowning communities in Fiji regarding the adequacy and transparency of compensation payments. It reflects broader concerns seen in other regions of Fiji where landowners have sought to address long-standing grievances related to land compensation and rights, as evidenced by increasing calls from communities in places like Suva and Lautoka for fair reassessment of their annuity payments. These collective movements exemplify a growing recognition among indigenous groups of the need for equitable treatment and acknowledgment of their rights in economic developments affecting their ancestral lands.
Overall, there is a strengthening dialogue surrounding landrights and compensation, indicating a hopeful trend toward addressing these historical grievances and promoting fair outcomes for affected communities.
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