One hundred and forty-seven households in the Delaisaweni informal settlement in Lautoka will soon receive formal leases, the Ministry of Housing announced as it launched the next phase of the government’s Informal Settlement Upgrade programme. Minister for Housing Maciu Nalumisa said the formalisation process, which began in July 2020, will continue through to January 2027 and will convert surveyed plots into secure lease titles for residents.
The ministry confirmed the consultancy component of the project is valued at $359,591, while an annual lease rental fee of $2,300 will apply to the plots. Construction works to provide essential infrastructure are estimated at approximately $10.66 million. Nalumisa said he had appointed Mobile Crane Hire Pte Ltd as the developer to carry out the construction component, which will include the development of access roads and improvements to the area’s drainage systems.
“This project has been made possible through the goodwill and cooperation of the Mataqali Nabasara, in the Tokatoka Wadigi, the landowning unit whose partnership has been instrumental in enabling this development,” Nalumisa said at the launch. “On behalf of the Coalition Government I would like to sincerely thank the landowners for supporting this initiative. I am also pleased to announce that the construction works valued at approximately $10.7m will be undertaken by the developer, Mobile Crane Hire Pte Ltd.”
The Housing Ministry said the Delaisaweni upgrade follows a survey of the 147 households under the national Informal Settlement Upgrade programme and forms part of a broader government commitment to provide “safe, secure and dignified housing” as Fiji’s urban population grows. The works seek to address immediate infrastructure needs for residents and to secure legal tenure that the ministry says will benefit families and future generations.
The announcement comes against a wider backdrop of housing projects in Fiji that have faced delays and complications over land disputes and family matters. Nalumisa has previously warned that land disagreements can stall developments for years; officials say the willing cooperation of landowning units such as Mataqali Nabasara was decisive in moving Delaisaweni forward.
The ministry did not specify an exact construction start date in the announcement, but confirmed the formalisation and upgrade schedule remains on track within the July 2020–January 2027 window. Once work is complete, residents will gain access to new roads, improved drainage and formal leases intended to stabilise tenure and encourage longer-term investment in homes and neighbourhoods.
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