Environmentalists in Papua New Guinea have raised concerns about foreign companies investing in controversial land leases, reports ABC Radio.



In the latest investment, Hong Kong logging firm Pacific Plywood has joined forces with China's largest state owned timber company, Longjiang Forest Industry Group.



The investors plan to develop a 628 square kilometre lease in the East Sepik Province. 

The companies say the region has more than 2.5 million cubic metres of timber. 



No information pertaining to the Inquiry into Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL) in Vanimo have been made available to the media since its proceedings last month, reports the Post Courier

It has been revealed that two boxes, containing the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) recordings made during the hearing had in fact been diverted by Air Niugini from Vanimo to Wewak’s Boram Airport where it was off loaded and remained in the Cargo office for two weeks.

IRIN – A Service of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Unchecked population growth is fast proving an additional source of conflict in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a country with a history of clan violence and clashes over land, experts say. 

“Without doubt, rapid population growth is adding to the risk of conflict,” Max Kep, director of the PNG’s national Office of Urbanization, told IRIN, noting that various types of conflict are fuelled by limited resources, including a shortage of land. 

By Doug Hendrie

The violence in PNG this week is the eruption of long simmering tensions, says Martyn Namorong. Doug Hendrie talks to the fearless political blogger who sells betel nut by day and tackles the country's corrupt ruling classes by night.

Martyn Namorong is angry.

By John Pangkatana

Three separate landowner company executives have made questionable sub-lease arrangements with international forestry developers that have the same company secretary in the Gulf Province, reports the Post Courier.

Their respective sub-leases are an exact replica of each other, the Commission of Inquiry in SABLs in Gulf Province established in Port Moresby yesterday. 

The developers are also believed to be subsidiaries of a prominent Malaysian logging company in Papua New Guinea.

By John Pangkatana

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) secretariat said they had a target to complete all listed hearings into Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs) by March 21, due date set by the National Government, reports the Post Courier.

Chief Commissioner John Numapo yesterday gave the assurance that despite some recent hiccups they were projected to complete all hearings listed.

While the Commission of Inquiry into Special Agriculture and Business Leases continues, revealing the layers of corruption and incompetence in the allocation of the 99-year SAB leases, the PNGExposed blog has republished the findings of an earlier Commission of Inquiry which reported in 2009 the Department of Lands was corrupt and incompetent. Its recommendations for a full Commission of Inquiry into DoL were ignored….

By Effrey Dademo

The Deep Sea Minerals Project of the SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Community) disenfranchises indigenous people and promotes the interests of big mining companies at the expense of local communitiies.

By Martyn Namorong

A FRIEND OF MINE recently told me about a trip to Mt Hagen. You know there aren’t any mines nor is there any oil or gas exploitation in the Western Highlands Province. But he reckons he saw more 10-seaters in Hagen than they have in Tabubil.