Inaugural Minister for iTaukei Affairs
Resource Owners Forum

The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts, iTaukei Affairs Board, iTaukei Land Trust Board, iTaukei Trust Fund Board, Fijian Holdings Ltd, and the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Development, will jointly host the Minister for iTaukei Affairs’ “Inaugural Resource Owners Forum Meeting”, from 30 to 31 March 2023, at the Harbor Point Convention Centre in Lami.

The theme for the inaugural forum is “Inclusive Growth and Inclusive Development: Charting the Aspirations of Resource Owners”. The objective of the inaugural forum is to better understand the current impediments to the economic development of resource owners and to map out strategic interventions to accelerate their participation in thenational economy.

The meeting also aims to provide an opportunity to identify broader areas for strengthening partnerships, to allow for more equitable participation of resource owners.

The two-day dialogue will identify the gaps that exist, where resource owners are progressing, the different partnership that is required and the process mechanism that needs to be developed to get these done. With Resource Owners owning 91% of land in our country, forestry and as traditional owners of the qoliqoli, it is only vital that they are empowered through such meetings.

The forum will also allow resource owners an opportunity to collaborate, exchange and empower each other. Panellists include experts from the Agriculture, Mining, Fisheries and investment sectors.

The Keynote Speaker for the forum is Mr. Mike Pohio, who is of Maori descent and affiliated with Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Pikiao tribes in New Zealand. Mr. Pohio currently serves as the Chair of Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation Limited and previously held the position of Chief Executive of Tainui Group Holdings. He brings a wealth of experience in management and governance across various sectors including infrastructure, property, financial services, and agriculture.

Resource owners attending this forum are selected through the aforementioned iTaukei Institutions. The outcome of the two-day forum will be a communique that will be submitted to the Minister of iTaukei Affairs, who will then present it at the National Economic Summit in April 2023.

Pita Tagicakirewa
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of iTaukei Affairs