Landowners can receive greater advantages by leasing their lands through native leases, according to Raijeli Taga, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources. During her presentation on the review of the 2022 Audit Report on the Economic Sector on September 12, she stated that most of the funds collected are returned to landowners when the land is leased under native terms.
Taga highlighted that landowners benefit more from native leases compared to other leasing options since the government handles the surveying, and the survey plans are approved at no cost to the owners. “All the money collected is returned to them, while only the operational costs are retained by the ministry,” she explained.
She also emphasized that the ministry conducts awareness training for landowners, aimed at enhancing their ability to achieve sustainable development in their projects. This training covers not only the administrative aspects, such as completing statements and producing reports, but also focuses on effective money management to enable landowners to invest in additional projects and achieve higher returns.