Commission of Inquiry

Commission to begin soon

By Luana Paniu

The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL) will use relevant court documents and information from research institutes and various organisations including landowners to begin investigations. 


Director for CoI and Investigation branch of the Prime Minister’s Department, Mathew Yuangu said this will be a foundation for the CoI, which will include visitation to specific SPABL sites in the country.


More »

SABL Inquiry starts off under fire

By Luana Paniu (Post Courier)

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL) was recently announced and is scheduled to be completed by September but it has come under fire by a civil and legal rights organisation and a former academic.


The former academic, who was a lecturer at the University of PNG and is also a naturalised citizen, said that references within the CoI were ambitious for the government to achieve.


More »

Concerns about conflicts of interest on SABL land grab 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.

More »

TI pushes for SABL land probe in PNG

Transparency International has added its name to the list of organisations pushing for the government to make good on its promise of a Commission of Inquiry into the huge land grab which has seen over 5 million hectares of customary land locked away in Special Agriculture Leases. TI Chairperson, Lawrence Stephens says there is huge concern that the leases were improperly executed and will result in large scale logging without providing agricultural development.

More »

NRI Report highlights need for Commission of Inquiry into Special Agricultural Business Leases

By Lorraine Jonathan, NRI Media Unit

Papua New Guinea's Land Act 1996, provides an avenue for customary landowners to participate in economic development on their customary land. The process by which this is done is lease their customary land to the state in return for the state granting a special agricultural and business lease (SABL) over the land. This lease lease‐back system was designed to enable customary landowners’ access to credit for agricultural ventures on their customary land.

More »

Madang Forum commends Acting PM Sam Abal

From Little Green Palai

THE Madang Indigenous People's Forum (MIPF) have commended the Acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal, for his move in calling for a Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Leases.

Speaking through their chairperson, Mr Alfred Kaket, the people said: 

More »

NASFUND CEO blames top shots for rot

By Kevin Pamba

THE country’s political and administrative elite has failed to deal with widespread corruption that is becoming a major killer in Papua New Guinea, a business leader said.

More »

Pages

Subscribe to Commission of Inquiry