The Post Courier newspaper has used the occasion of World Environment Day and its Editorial Column to remind Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal of his commitment to set up a Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Leases. SABLs have been misused as a vehicle to take control of more than 5 million hectares of customary land away from local people. Mr Abal made his commitment to set up an inquiry on May 5 but has not yet signed the instruments to make the Commission a reality.

Celebrating our environment

Papua New Guinea joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Environment Day on Sunday. Various organisations including schools prepared their own programs, some of which will be staged today or over the next two days to mark the day.

This year’s theme is “Forest: Nature at Your Service”.

This year’s theme is more suited to Papua New Guinea, more so in light of the land issues, in particular the Special Agricultural and Business Leases that are being debated at the moment.

Papua New Guinea has one of the biggest tracts of pristine rainforest in the world that is basically untouched. These forests are home to a rich biodiversity, which is also used by the people for food, medicine and many other purposes.

The debate surrounding the SABLs is focused on economic development and respect for the laws of PNG.

The grant of SABLs over more that five million hectares, while amendments to the Land Groups Incorporation Act and the Land Registration Act cannot be implemented, raises very important questions about the National Government’s commitment and understanding of development for the customary landowners.

Those who are for the SABLS including the Lands Department, say that the leases are granted to allow customary landowners to use their land for economic development.

And from what we are told, the current SABLs are held by companies who want to convert the forest land into oil palm estates. We are not sure if any of the companies that has a lease over forest land has already gone into oil palm planting but there are over 70 companies who hold these leases covering about 10 over cent of the total land area of PNG.

The other contentious issue that is being debated is that the leases have been granted under dubious circumstances by people who do not represent the true landowners in the villages.
The amendments to laws governing Incorporated Land Group have made big improvements to strengthening the legal status of the ILGs and the corporate responsibility of the Management Committee but the Act is yet to be implemented.

In the leases that have been granted, we find that control of the land is left to the landowner companies, many we suspect, were incorporated in Port Moresby without the knowledge of the landowners in the villages by a few individuals, and they are supported by some so called “investors” who seem to be hell-bent on chopping down trees for export.

We have said this over and over again and we will do it again. Giving 99 year leasehold title over huge tracts of customary land to a landowner company or even one foreign company, is wrong. We say this because this practice is contrary to the land reform initiative designed to benefit an ILG and so this is nothing but a sham.

It is at times like this when our people are celebrating our beautiful environment that we must remind the Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal of his commitment to set up a Commission of Inquiry into the issuance of the SABLs. The people of this country are waiting for Mr Abal to appoint members of the COI, draw up the Terms of References and get going.

We are not against development. Resources in this country should be exploited but these developments must respect the laws and the resource owners, who are the ordinary Papua New Guineans, receive maximum benefit