By Martyn Namorong

This post is dedicated to Effrey Dademo na ol bata long Goroka Secondary School; Slaytox, JayAshK59, JWK59,GRimz, Lycans, C-Red, Snake, CasterMai and Twing

By Warren Dutton

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal has established a Commission of Inquiry into the SABLs [special agricultural and business leases], which is a good and I believe well intentioned step.

However there are definitely forces within the system, and perhaps even within the process itself, that will be working hard to maintain the status of the bad SABLs, so the ECPNG [ecumenical council of PNG] really needs to present the strongest possible submission to the Commission of Inquiry.  

Two of the most senior people appointed to Papua New Guinea's Commission of Inquiry into the country's enormous land grab may have serious conflicts of interest that could taint the whole Commission process if they do not step aside.

Papua New Guinea's land grab has seen control of over 5 million hectares of land taken from customary landowners in dubious Special Business and Agriculture Leases that are often seen as a smokescreen for the logging industry.

The confusion over whether a Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate Special Purpose Business and Agriculture leases, which we first reported on 3 days ago - Confusion over Land Grab Commission of Inquiry - has deepened with the publication of a further newspaper advert, this time in The National.

By Martyn Namorong

Recently I had lunch with Matt Morris from the Development Policy Center of the Australian National University. Matt was very surprised that I had not met with other bloggers and commentators in Papua New Guinea.

On the two occasions that I attended the Transparency International Annual General Meeting, I’ve noticed how tense and out of place everyone seemed to be. While I do understand the serious nature of the occasion, there was an atmosphere of plasticity unlike other meetings I’ve been to.

By Estella Cheung

THE agriculture sector has a huge untapped potential to create wealth and broad-based economic growth for PNG.
 New Agriculture and Livestock Minister Philip Kikala said this during his briefing with heads of commodities agencies and agricultural institutions on Monday, adding that the sector’s core contributions are in the areas of food security, cash income generation, employment creation and poverty alleviation.


Papua New Guinean's faces a vitally important choice. Should we continue to implement an imported and failed model of development, which is based on unrestrained capitalism, or return to our roots, rediscover our National Goals and follow a more Melanesian development path?

There is great confusion in Papua New Guinea over whether a Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate the issuing of Special Agriculture and Business Leases over more than 5 million hectares of customary land.

The Acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal, announced on May 6 that he would be setting up a Commission of Inquiry, but no instruments appointing the Commissioners or any further details were released.