Qarase hits out at NLTB

Issue No: 795; 25 May 2001

 
Regime's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has hit out at the Native Lands trust Board saying that it does not have business experts.

Speaking to ethnic Fijian landowners whose land has been leased by the state for mahogany forestry, Qarase is quoted by the media as saying that he was aware "of NLTB's interest to venture into business, but I don't see any business experts among its officials. NLTB should remain focussed on its core function looking after the interests of landowners".

Qarase was responding to moves by the NLTB to enter into the mahogany business.

It is believed that early last year some NLTB officials got in league with a Canadian based company of dubious record to get the government's tender for mahogany processing. But because the People's Coalition Government was continuing negotiations with two companies short-listed by the SVT government, the NLTB proposal was left out. Inside sources claim that the NLTB officials got involved in assisting the terrorists because they thought that with the elected government out of the way, they could take a bite of the mahogany pie. The NLTB's General Manager Maika Qarikau was listed by the terrorists George Speight as his Minister for Lands.

Fiji has a multi-million dollar stock of mahogany forests.

 

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