The interim Government has clarified confusions surrounding the payment of goodwill to the landowners of the Labasa Weather Radar Site.

Permanent Secretary in the Prime Ministers Office, Parmesh Chand clarified that the payment of $60,000 to the landowners is a reimbursement payable to the Native Land Trust Board for the money it has already paid to the two mataqalis last September.

In a statement today, Chand said that there were confusion in a local media report regarding the issue and this has misled the landowners and in the process mislead the general public.

Chand said that the Cabinet statement had clearly indicated that the money would be paid to NLTB and not to the landowners.

Cabinet decision to reimburse NLTB follows the submission by the Minister for Works and Transport, Colonel Timoci Natuva.

Colonel Natuva explained that the absence of effective long range weather surveillance capability in the Northern Division had prompted the Fiji Meteorological Service to locate new weather surveillance radar near Labasa.

“The Delainamulomulo site belonging to the two landowning units namely Mataqali Nabureni and Mataqali Vusaibati of Wailevu Village has been identified as the new site.”

Natuva said that following discussions with the landowners, it was agreed that $30,000 be paid to each of the two mataqali’s as goodwill payment.