The Peopleβs Alliance Party continues to emphasize the importance of empowering iTaukei landowners not only through lease income but also by encouraging them to build sustainable businesses that create jobs, support families, and strengthen the vanua. This vision was recently demonstrated in Bavu Village, where the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) handed over a new 14βseater van to Meli Liganimeca Kalougata of Mataqali Vagadra.
The vehicle will support the operations of Meli Tours & Transfer (Fiji), a tourism business owned by landowners that has been serving Fijiβs tourism industry for over a decade. The company provides airport transfers, hotel and resort transportation, and other travel services across the country. With the addition of the new van, the business is expected to expand its capacity, serve more visitors, and continue its growth trajectory.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and the Peopleβs Alliance Party have consistently highlighted that economic empowerment is one of the most effective ways to strengthen iTaukei communities. By investing in tourism, transport, agriculture, and other enterprises, landowners create opportunities that extend beyond their families to benefit entire villages and communities.
TLTB Chief Executive Officer Solomone Nata commended Mr. Kalougata for continuing his familyβs business legacy and demonstrating how landowners can transform opportunities into sustainable enterprises. His success story reflects the broader vision of encouraging iTaukei entrepreneurship and ensuring that landowners participate more fully in Fijiβs economy.
This initiative underscores the Peopleβs Alliance Partyβs commitment to supporting iTaukei landowners, fostering local entrepreneurship, and building stronger communities through business and enterprise. When landowners succeed, villages prosper, the vanua is strengthened, and Fiji as a whole moves forward together.