Population growth in urban areas is being accommodated in squatter communities with more than 300 informal settlements, says Housing and Local Government Minster Maciu Nalumisa.

He said this in response to an oral question in Parliament by Opposition MP Aliki Bia who had asked Mr Nalumisa to inform Parliament on how Government was dealing with the formalisation of the 47 informal settlements which the previous government had begun processing.

The minister responded by saying the Fiji Informal Settlement Situation Analysis Report published in 2016 indicated that the official figure of informal settlements in Fiji was 250.

He said in 2019, the ministry in collaboration with UN Habitat and with assistance from iTaukei Land Trust Board and Lands Ministry identified more than 300 informal settlements.

Mr Nalumisa said the informal settlement upgrade projects dated back to 2006 and was formerly known as Squatter Settlement Upgrading Program and later complemented by Town Wide Upgrading Program in 2014. “Under the program, there were 10 development leases that were acquired prior to 2015,” he said.

“In 2017, the Ministry of Housing further acquired 80 development leases, an additional 17 in 2018. In 2020, one development lease was acquired, and in 2022, an additional two which resulted in a total of 48 development leases.

“Out of these 48 development leases, 44 settlements are located on iTaukei land and four on State land. The informal settlements are spread throughout Fiji with 13 settlements located in the Central Division, 14 in Northern Division and 21 settlements in the Western Division.

“Four out of the 48 development leases had surpassed its lease validity period of five years.

“These were for Qauia in Lami which expired in 2020, Tomuka in Lautoka, Nakodi in Labasa and Varavu in Ba expired in 2022.

“The ministry is currently liaising with the Ministry of Lands and iTLTB to have their lease renewed in order to proceed into preparation works, 20 development leases had been renewed for another five years until 2027.

“The remaining 24 development leases are still valid.

“I wish to highlight that since the acquisition of the 48 development leases, only three; Cuvu in Nadroga, Ledrusasa in Nadi and Waidamudamu Informal Settlement in Nausori have adjusted their upgrades completed in 2022 (more than eight years after it was acquired).”