Fiji's Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Netani Sukanaivalu on Friday issued a land lease to a Chinese mining company to explore bauxite in Nawailevu in northern Bua province.

Sukanaivalu handed over the lease documents to Executive Director of Aurum Exploration Limited, Simon Chen Bao, in a ceremony in Nawailevu that was witnessed by local villagers.

Chen Bao said he hoped the company and villagers with the support of the Fiji government would work together for the common good.

As the first company to mine bauxite in Fiji, Aurum Exploration Ltd now has legal control over the 165 acres of land which will be used for mining. The land belongs to two landowning units of Naicobo and Noro.

The occasion of the lease issuance is historic in Fiji as it's the first set of leases issued under the Land Use Decree 2010 and the Land Use Regulations 2011.

"Government's land reform initiative is also meant to address some long standing issues which include but are not limited to the need to ensure that landowners get fair returns for the use of their land and tenants get security of tenure," Sukanaivalu said.

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