agriculture leases

SABL: Over to you at the big Haus Tambaran

On 23 Feb, 2012 By Klaireh

There are diverse issues that concern individual Papua New Guineans in different ways, but the one issue that will always be of great cultural and emotional significance to all of us is our land. Taking away someone’s land or their right to it, is as good as amputating all four of their limbs.

Government wants to expand leases to cover 20% of Papua New Guinea

On 28 Apr, 2011 By tok stret With 2 Comments

Lands and Physical Planning Minister, Lucas Dekena, has confirmed the government has handed out 99-year leases covering more than than 5 million hectares of customary land and revealed that the government intends to double the number of leases so they cover 20% of Papua New Guinea's land mass.

The Minister has rejected the widespread criticism of the Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) and said the state had no choice as it wanted to free up land for development because more than 95% of the land was owned by the customary landowners. 

World Bank plays important role in global land grab

On 06 Apr, 2011 By tok stret

A new report details the role of the International Finance Corporation, a branch of the World Bank, in promoting the growing global trend of large-scale land investments in developing countries by wealthier, food-insecure nations and private investors.

Probe into land allocations

On 29 Mar, 2011 By rait man

By PETER KORUGL*

An expert team is to probe how five million hectares of customary land were acquired by foreign firms to cut logs under the pretext of developing the land for agriculture and other business activities. 

The commitment was made by Lands Minister Lucas Dekena in response to concerns raised by the United Nations, green groups, NGOs and interest groups in PNG over the allocation of land in PNG by the Lands Department under the Special Agriculture and Business leases (SABL).

Over 10% of customary land lost in dodgy agriculture leases

On 23 Mar, 2011 By tok stret With 1 Comments

There has been a massive increase in the alienation and the conversion of customary land in recent years through the issuing of special agriculture and business leases (SABLs).

The allocation of these leases, some covering hundreds of thousands of hectares, seems to be occurring outside all proper legal channels and without the informed consent of affected landowners. The leases are being handed out by the Department of Lands without compliance with relevant laws, which indicates either negligence or fraud on the part of lands officers and the government.

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