The Prime Minister is again giving excuses why the SABL leases have not been cancelled but does not really explain why it has taken so long or why the illegal logging is being allowed to continue...

PM explains delay in SABL process

Source: Post Courier

By GORETHY KENNETH

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says although the process to cancel all Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) is slow, the recommendations are being implemented.

Cabinet made a decision for all SABL licences to be cancelled, as part of the recommendations from the commission of inquiry into SABL which was headed by John Numapo.

Mr O’Neill said the process has slowed down because some lease holders had taken the Government to court but this was being addressed.

"The instructions still stand, we are cancelling every land that is in our name… and will be leased back to the people.

"Cabinet has already given directions to cancel all the SABL licences, unless people want me to physically go down and try and cancel it myself," he said.

Mr O’Neill said the Lands and Physical Planning Department had been consistently told to do that but it had been dragging its feet and also, some of the lease holders had started suing the Government and the department and the court order in the implementation of the recommendations.

"We have now a new management in the Department of Lands, we have seen some arrests of the staff who have been doing the wrong things at the department and we are hoping to clean up the mess there and that is for the protection of our people’s land," the PM revealed.