It is unbelievable that $30m dollars have been granted by the government to the Fijian Development Trust Fund. On the other hand, perhaps not so surprising in the murky world of the current governments racist agendas.

What the hell for? Why do we need to fund such trusts? As it is the Natives own most of the land in this country and thus own most of the resources. The government policies are eskewed towards them. They make up majority of the civil service (whether they deserve to be there or not).

With all the investments they've already made from the trust fund, it is quite clear what this racist governments long term agenda is. Simply to create large monopolies with owned mostly by the indigenous fijians. Under the guise of indigenous people's empowerment, nothing will ever be done to in terms of government policy to foster fair competition in private sectors in which these large companies will do business.

Such grants are daylight robberies committed upon the taxpayers of this country.

Dividends are being used to fund another monolith! Do the useless chiefs or this country really need such an expensive complex? I can imagine lots of other ways in which the dividends can be used. I hope the construction quality is of good order though. I hope the ceilings holds for the long term, unlike the parliament house. :-)

Trust funds GCC $20m: "INCOME from $30million in State grants given to the Fijian Development Trust Fund is being used to finance the new Great Council of Chiefs complex in Draiba, Suva.

The Trust earns $1.96m in dividends each year from $20m it has invested in Fijian Holdings, Amalgamated Telecom Holdings and R B Patel Group since 2002.

Prime Minister's Office special projects deputy secretary Jone Navakamocea made the comment during a Rewa Provincial Council workshop yesterday.

He said the Government had given the Trust - which comes under the Fijian Affairs Ministry - $10m a year since 2002 to invest for the benefit of provinces.

'The Government has been providing $10m a year apart from the $100,000 that is given to the provincial councils every year to help with their own provinces,' he said.

Mr Navakamocea said the first dividends that the trust received in 2002 valued at $1.96m were used to start the new $20m GCC complex. He said other dividends earned from the investment in shares over the next few years would also be used to pay off the GCC complex.

Construction is expected to be finished by mid-next year.

Roko Tui Dreketi and Education Minister Ro Teimumu Kepa launched construction of the complex last month.

Mr Navakamocea told delegates that the other $10million given to the trust fund was put on the securities market.

'There is also $11.8million on the securities market and this is something that would be good for the trust,' he said.

The comments come as Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase called for Fijians to support an Act to grant GCC more power.

Opening the Rewa Provincial Council workshop, Mr Qarase said the Government wanted the GCC Act in place before next year's elections because chiefs needed more power to look after the welfare of their people.

Mr Qarase said the Act would look after the GCC's affairs, which falls under the Ministry of Fijian Affairs."