The nation’s top Lutherans are calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to stop the Canadian company which is planning to mine for valuable minerals in PNG waters.
The National Research Institute says Laws relating to Special Agricultural and Business Leases are outdated and do not cater to the needs of customary landowners.
The think tank is calling on the Government to scrap the S.A.B.L.s altogether in place of a new and independent working committee to work on a better legislative framework.
The Papua New Guinea police have denied residents were forcibly evicted from a popular squatter settlement in Port Moresby.
Earlier this week 300 residents were moved from Upper Paga Hill to alternate land at Six Mile in Port Moresby, and police had praised the Paga Hill Development Company, which provided transport and removal services.
A REPRESENTATIVE of the Mengen Sulka people in the East Pomio district has applauded Northern Governor Gary Juffa’s stand to support landowners that resulted in the cancellation of two Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs) in the Waigani National Court.
State minister and member for Yangoru Saussia Richard Maru is against the Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) device being used to acquire customary land in the country.
Expert Former Chief Land Title Commissioner Josepha Kiris has issued a stern warning to people selling customary land in NCD to restrain or face the full brunt of the law.
Kiris, who is also a professional lawyer, told PNG Loop that customary land was not supposed to be sold as there was no law guaranteeing the buyer to own the land.
SPECIAL agriculture business leases are nothing but a “scam” used by logging companies and will be outlawed immediately, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says.
He told a radio talkback show yesterday that the logging companies and certain individuals in Government were preying on the innocent and unassuming people in rural areas.
He responded to callers from around the country on the FM100 talkback show complaining about SABLs and the damage they were doing.
