ACT NOW goes to court to secure publication of information on the forest industry
The signboard outside the PNG Forest Authority headquarters in Port Moresby
ACT NOW! is taking legal action against the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) to try and secure the release of information about large-scale logging operations.
While there is a general Constitutional right to information and provision in the Forestry Act for a public register with key information on each forest management area, the PNGFA has repeatedly failed to answer requests from ACT NOW! for information and has not responded to detailed and well documented concerns about individual logging concessions.
Illegal and unsustainable logging has been recognised as a widespread and serious problem in PNG and the lack of effective action by government agencies has been contributing factor in PNG’s recent grey listing by the international financial community.
The failure to publish even basic information on logging licences and forestry operations contributes to a cloak of secrecy behind which foreign owned logging companies and compromised officials are able to operate with impunity.
ACT NOW! has published a number of reports, case studies and risk assessments over the last three years, all of which have been ignored by the PNG Forest Authority.
ACT NOW! has also been rebuffed in its attempts to seek more information on the current moratorium on new Forest Clearing Authorities, the audits of existing FCA projects and the latest log export data.
It is an unfortunate indictment on the PNG Forest Authority and the government that a civil society organisation is having to resort to legal action to enforce basic community rights to information.
While the government and the Forest Authority are supposed to be protecting rural communities and ensuring the sustainable management of forest resources, key individuals and organisations have been captured by foreign interests and are working against the national interest.
ACT NOW! remains hopeful that the legal system is still strong and robust enough to protect the rights of ordinary people and that its legal action will be successful in uncovering information that can shine a light on the misuse of forest resources and the revenues generated.