Final drafts of the Rotuma Act and the Rotuma Lands Act will be tabled before Cabinet within the first quarter of 2011.
Deputy secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Tomasi Tui said the two laws had to be reviewed and amended because they were archaic.
Rotuma islanders called for a review of the laws when the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama visited the island in 2009.
“Those two laws were archaic, they have been there for about 50 years and the initiative to amend and review them was brought up by the people and endorsed by the Rotuma Council, which the PM agreed to,” Mr Tui said
“Hence a committee was formed with a term of reference.”
The final draft of the Rotuma Act has been completed and now the PM’s office is waiting for the completion of the Rotuma Lands Act.
“We are just waiting for the Rotuma Lands Act to be completed. We have submitted the first draft to the Solicitor General’s office,” Mr Tui said.
“They have done their bit and it has been returned to us, we are working on it with the Review Committee chairman Mr Fatiaki Misau.
“Once the two draft decrees are completed they will be tabled before Cabinet for endorsement before the final decree is put in place.”
Both Acts were developed from the Rotuma Review report.