Who owns Kadavu House?

Fiji Village News - 10 May 2010

The stakeholders are now trying to determine whether Kadavu House which was built through a FNPF loan is owned by the Kadavu Provincial Council.

The three entities that are involved in this issue are the Provincial Council, Kadavu Development Company and Kadavu Holdings Limited. 

Kadavu House has started fetching rent for the eight levels that are fully occupied.

The government ended the Memorandum of Agreement to occupy the house in 2007 after issues arose about the high level of rent agreed to by the Qarase government.

Questions were also raised at the time about the ownership of Kadavu House, how the people involved got the loan and whether it was truly an effective Affirmative Action programme and would benefit the ordinary people of Kadavu.

The Kadavu Provincial Council meets this Wednesday and Thursday while the Kadavu Development Company meets on Friday. 

Former Chairman of the Kadavu Provincial Council and a former director of Kadavu Development Company, Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo confirmed that the provincial council set up the company as a business arm and the company then set up Kadavu Holdings Limited which was responsible for building Kadavu House.

Nawalowalo agrees that the ownership of the house and the current directors of the company need to be dealt with.

Fijivillage News pointed out the government=s concerns in 2007 when it brought up the issue that a number of individuals who were not part of the provincial council were sitting as directors of the company.

Nawalowalo agrees that the government was seriously concerned about this issue as the FNPF loan was granted based on the connection to the provincial council.