Unpaid lease rent of $27.75 million has been identified as a major weakness in the management of iTaukei land, weakening returns to landowners and straining the operational capacity of the iTaukei Land Trust Board (iTLTB), the Standing Committee on Social Affairs has told Parliament. The committee’s review of the 2023 iTLTB Annual Report was presented to the House by committee chair Iliesa Vanawalu, who warned the arrears are largely tied to residential and agricultural leases and require urgent action.
The committee says the size of the arrears undermines landowner incomes and the board’s ability to deliver services. It urged the iTLTB to strengthen recovery systems, recommending structured repayment plans, automated digital reminders and incentives for early settlement. The committee also pushed for improved monitoring of tenants and a more proactive approach to enforcement to limit future build-up of rent arrears.
Delays in housing developments were singled out as a separate but connected concern. The committee raised issues with more than 40 development leases managed under the Ministry of Housing, noting slow progress has frustrated landowners and made them reluctant to renew development leases. Only two housing projects — at Ledrusasa and Waidamudamu — have been completed, the report said, prompting the committee to recommend creation of a joint monitoring mechanism between the iTLTB and the Ministry of Housing to improve delivery and ensure accountability.
The review highlighted policy inconsistencies that complicate administration and dispute resolution. Vanawalu told Parliament the regulated rent system under the Agricultural Landlord and Tenants Act (ALTA) contrasts with the iTLTB’s open-market approach, creating gaps and operational difficulties. The committee backed a broad legislative review and recommended the formation of an inter‑ministerial taskforce to align land policy across statutes and reduce conflicting regulatory settings that affect landlords, tenants and developers.
On the agricultural front, the committee acknowledged early consultations by the board with tenants and landowners over more than 1,000 sugarcane leases due to expire by 2030. Vanawalu said those discussions are intended to help parties decide whether leases should be renewed, partially renewed or converted to other uses, reflecting shifts in land use and the need to manage large-scale expiries strategically.
The report also sets out reforms the iTLTB has already been pursuing, notably digital upgrades including online systems for lease processing, rent assessments and conveyancing. The committee noted these improvements have strengthened service delivery and access for landowners, particularly in rural areas, and recommended further investment in digital tools to support recovery and monitoring functions.
Vanawalu described the tabling of the 2023 annual report as a milestone: it is the first iTLTB annual report to be independently tabled in Parliament, a step he said will strengthen transparency, accountability and parliamentary oversight of iTaukei land management. Parliament has agreed the report will be debated at a future sitting, offering lawmakers an opportunity to press ministries and the board on the committee’s recommendations and the measures needed to protect landowner interests.
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