The Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs will present a six-page resolution endorsed at the two-day Bose Levu Vakaturaga to Cabinet, for its recommendations for deliberations.
This was highlighted by the Minister Responsible, Ifereimi Vasu on Thursday, where he said that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga had endorsed the strategic review of the i-Taukei Land Trust Board, i-Taukei Land and Fisheries Commission and the i-Taukei Administration.
FijiLive questioned the Minister to clarify what it meant when the Bose Levu Vakaturaga ‘endorsed’ agenda items in the meeting – whether this is an endorsement on a national level or an endorsement from the Vanua’s side;and if this was done on a national level, does this require current legislations needed to be reviewed concerning the indigenous Fijians.
Vasu said the Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs will always need to seek the endorsement of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga on issues pertaining to the Indigenous Fijians.
“We will now take it up to Cabinet,” Vasu said.
The Minister indicated that the two-day deliberation was only the first level of where decisions needed to be made.
FijiLive also asked what happens after it reaches Cabinet for recommendations; Vasu said Cabinet will give its decision, but first needed the blessings from the Bose Levu Vakaturaga.
“It is the responsibility of the Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs to take it to Government… to inform Government that this is what the Bose Levu Vakaturaga is all about from the indigenous people point of view,” he added.
The Minister also indicated that the Great Council of Chiefs is expected to sit again in the next six months in order to review the final report from the GCC Taskforce.
Vasu added that the regulation endorsed by Cabinet giving it the legal basis for the GCC to sit is valid only for six months, until the Standing Committee comes back with its report on the way forward for the GCC.
