By MAIKA BOLATIKI Thousands of iTaukei people living in peri-urban areas are not registered in the Native Land Register or as commonly known, the Vola ni Kawa Bula (VKB). This

By MAIKA BOLATIKI

Thousands of iTaukei people living in peri-urban areas are not registered in the Native Land Register or as commonly known, the Vola ni Kawa Bula (VKB).

This was relayed at the Naitasiri Provincial Council meeting in Kalabu Village on Thursday by Kisoko Cagituevei, an official from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The VKB is the official Fijian register of native landowners,” Mr Cagituevei said.

“By law, all indigenous Fijians are entitled to be enrolled as members of the VKB, which is in the charge of the Native Lands Commission.”

He said it was important for all iTaukei people to be registered because it guaranteed their land ownership.

Some 83 per cent of Fiji’s land is owned communally by the VKB members. On November 22, 2005, the Native Lands Commission expressed concern that parental negligence or ignorance resulted in an estimated 20,000 iTaukei people not registered in the VKB.

Mr Cagituevei said many parents l From Page 1

wrongly assumed that a birth certificate automatically registered every child in the VKB. Mr Cagituevei said in his current tour of peri-urban areas, he found out that many were yet to be registered.

He said some had birth certificates but their names were missing from the VKB.

“It’s the duty of the parents to register their children in the VKB as only then their children would have the right to land ownership in their mataqali.”

During their talks in his meeting in peri-urban areas, Mr Cagituevei said some aired concerns about land issues.

He reminded them that only those registered in the VKB would benefit from the resources within the mataqali land and likewise received lease money from any lease within the mataqali land.

He urged all the iTaukei people to check their registration and if their names were not in the VKB, they should register now.