Here's an interesting article that is an interview concerning the payment of lease money in Fiji as it used to be done communally but the new government sees fit to emphasise payment to each individual in the mataqali. Everyone has to have a bank account and does it include children? The article was in the Fiji Sun newspaper which is quite biased and almost wholeheartedly supports the Bainimarama government.
Communalism Versus Individualism
March 17
by Nemani Delaibatiki, SUVA
Some iTaukei say the two concepts can work
together. Others say they are incompatible and cannot mix like oil and water.
Communalism has a powerful impact on iTaukei. From time
immemorial, it has defined the social dynamics of the iTaukei community.
It was reinforced by the British colonialists with laws that virtually confined iTaukei to villages to protect and preserve
indigenous interests, assets and culture from negative foreign influence. Social
cohesion in villages was achieved through the cultural practice of communalism.
Individualism was perceived as a threat to this cohesion.
It was viewed with cynicism and even contempt because it threatened the very
heart of communalism.
The
conservative wing says that Fijians cannot write off communalism. An advocate
and a landowning unit (LOU) trustee, who wishes to remain anonymous, says the
decision to pay lease money to the individual bank accounts of iTaukei landowners is a capitalist idea. He
strongly feels that money should still be paid to landowning units via their trustees
who should distribute it to members.
In an earlier analysis on the issue, I
highlighted that that direct payment to landowners was in their best interests.
Trustees, some of whom have been accused of abuse, have infuriated the
landowners. The trustee, defended the trustees. Here are excerpts of his
statement:
Fiji Sun: The direct deposit of lease money into
individual iTaukei landowner’s bank account is a
significant development.
Trustee: Surely it is a significant development from an
individualistic, if not capitalist, standpoint, where one can have the freewill
choice as to how or where the lease money is used. However, it must be noted
that such lease money is being derived from communally-owned property (native
land) and not private or freehold land. A good analysis need to take into
account the socio-economic imperatives of communalism (social obligations with
‘money’ being the enabling factor to fulfill such obligations). In order to
understand and appreciate the monetisation of communalism, especially in a
village setting or the seat of the vanua (tokatoka, mataqali, yavusa),
then one has to actually live it, taste it, and be part of it. That is, the
trustees committee. Of course, just like any other organisation in the public
or private sectors and even NGOs, trustees are not immune from the being
subjected to risks of abuse or misuse etc. No trustee is perfect and that is
why we have laws that exists as safety nets for all citizens or landowners
whose monies are being abused by their trustees.
So, as a true iTaukei that places high value to solesolevaki (working
together),veirogorogoci (consultation), (social ideal of a real kaiviti which are in direct contradictions
with western culture of capitalism), the individual distribution of lease money
to landowners can be perceived as an opposing force to our (iTaukei) social
structure or system of political economy.
Fiji Sun: It will be welcomed by many
landowners because it eliminates the landowners’ trustees’ committees, a level
of bureaucracy that is fraught with high risks of abuse.
Trustee: As the saying goes, a little bit of knowledge is
too dangerous! Many landowners are questioning the motive behind this
‘directive’. It is an open secret that the directive to TLTB was triggered by
numerous complaints from landowners against their own trustees, especially from
those with big lease monies. Against this backdrop, many landowners would be
perfectly happy with this new distribution mode because it’s money direct into
their pocket (personal bank account), especially those who are not directly or
indirectly partake in the affairs of their vanua such as “soli-ni-yasana’ (provincial levy), tavi ni mataqali (clan contribution) to yavusa (tribe), vanua, etc. All
these communal obligations which are inherently social in nature requires money
per say.
There is ‘no one-size fits all’. Not all LOUs are same.
They are distinctly different across Fiji. Some LOUs are rich in their
upholding the spirit of solesolevaki (working
together) orcakacakavata (unite), se duavata (unity) na kena dau vakayagataki na (use) lavo ni lisi (lease money). My own LOU is a
classical case where we still want to maintain the status quo. My people work
hard to earn a living and when it comes to lease money, we collectively decide
on how to use it – especially on social obligations like funeral etc.
Fiji Sun: Some years ago the trustees committees were set
up as an interim measure while work started to electronically connect the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) to the Vola ni
KawaBula (VKB) or iTaukei Births and Death Registry.
Trustee: Interim measure may be true but it
was better than the previous method of lump sum cash distribution to the
various locations in Fiji.
Fiji Sun: When Government introduced the
distribution of equal lease money to landowners, TLTB wanted to pay individuals
through their personal bank accounts.
Arguably, this is a silent way to suppress or
kill the economic strength of LOUs that thrives through co-operation,
communalism, collaboration of their members. We are dealing here with monetary
benefits derived from communally-owned land that are leased out by TLTB. It
follows then that such benefits (lease money) should/must be
collectively-received via a collectively-agreed bank account whose signatories
must be collectively-agreed by the members of the LOUs. What is intrinsically
wrong with that? Of course, basic rules are set out for the trustees as per the
usual Deed of Trust (DOT). There are governing laws to fix trustees for any
deviation from these rules. TLTB can be the enforcer for such rules spelt out
on the DOT.
Fiji Sun: The integrity of some of the
trustees have been called to question because of alleged abuse. The TLTB, the
Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and the iTaukei Lands and Fisheries Commission are
aware of it.
Trustee: This is an undisputed fact. However,
the solution (individual distribution) should not be imposed on the LOUs who
have not inherited any problems from their DOT or trustees. It should be
implemented to MOUs on a case-by-case basis.
Fiji Sun: Some landowners are not happy with some of the
trustees because of the general lack of transparency and accountability. The
issue of governance has been a major challenge to some of the committees. It
has become an embarrassment to national iTaukeileaders
who have worked tirelessly over the years to change the mentality and mindset
of people. They have been trying to change the long-held perception and
stereotype that cast doubt on the iTaukei credibility or integrity to manage
projects that involve finance. The poor example of some of the trustees
suggests that this malaise still exists in the iTaukeicommunity.
The trustees are appointed by the landowners so they are accountable to them.
If they were accountable to higher authority, would they have performed better?
Trustee: This is a rather reactive way of
addressing the issues of lack of transparence and accountability on the part of
trustees. These issues can be easily addressed through TLTB. TLTB should be
empowered to have a financial oversight on the usage of lease monies by LOUs. A
simple and effective method of empowerment is to require trustees to submit
annual reports on the usage of their lease monies and must be ‘cleared’ by 60
per cent of its members before submitting such report to TLTB. Disbursement of
future lease money to the LOU’s bank account is contingent on each LOU
submitting its annual report to TLTB. This ensures the integrity of trustees…
Fiji Sun: That is why the quicker the
Government rolls in those reforms, the better it would become all around.
Trustee: Reforms are good but not to the expense of LOUs
that thrives in or valuessolesolevaki (working
together) or communalism rather than individualism.
Fiji Sun: The trustees were informed and
trained to operate under a set of rules designed to help them stay out of
trouble. But they will become history now. And landowners will have cause to
celebrate, because the first lease money payment for those in Ba, Kadavu, Bua
and Cakaudrove, will go into their individual bank accounts by the end of next
month.
Trustee: This is a precarious statement from a iTaukei entrepreneur perspective that
understand and appreciate the significance of managing communally-owned
resources atmataqali level
or tokatoka level.
One has to fully understand that the vanua (land
or themataqali or tokatoka who actually owned the land) and its
communal obligations are inextricably linked. I believe those advocating this
view have not experienced the social and economic benefits of
collectively-managed funds through the trustees who have financial and
commercial disciplines. As stated earlier, not all LOUs are the same. They have
their own unique features, characteristics, and weakness and strengths,
depending on the quality of traditional leadership.
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