Prime Minister Vorege Bainimarama has stressed that the vast increase in the renewal of the pine leases over the last couple of years is not because the government forced them.

While presenting the second round of Fiji Pine lease security bonuses in Lautoka totaling more than $360,000, Bainimarama said that thanks to the reforms landowners can see a relationship based on mutual benefits and equitable returns and so they have voluntarily decided to maintain their partnership with the company.

He further said with the reforms in full effect, the returns are only going to increase in the years to come.

He said more than 18,200 hectares of land leases have been renewed in the past two and a half years because landowners can finally see that they can get better returns from the better management of the industry.

He said the relationship between Fiji Pine Group which includes Tropik Wood and landowners has been growing stronger and this has led to a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the industry.

He added that from 2000 to 2011, many landowners were unwilling to continue their partnership with the company.

He said when he visited them personally to ask them why this was the case, he always received the same answer that they were not happy with the returns provided to them over the decades.

He said he can set the record straight on some lies that are being told by political parties in an attempt to damage the reforms that Fiji Pine and Government are trying to bring about in the industry for the benefit of the landowners.

Bainimarama said he has heard that landowners are told that he will take their land away from them by force if they refuse to renew their leases voluntarily.

He has made it clear that under the Fiji Constitution, land can never be taken away from its indigenous owners by force.

He added that the decision to renew a lease is for the landowners to make freely and of their own accord.

He has urged the landowners to focus on the facts and disregard the lies.

The first ever lease security payment was made in February this year.