The confusion over whether a Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate Special Purpose Business and Agriculture leases, which we first reported on 3 days ago - Confusion over Land Grab Commission of Inquiry - has deepened with the publication of a further newspaper advert, this time in The National.

By Martyn Namorong

Recently I had lunch with Matt Morris from the Development Policy Center of the Australian National University. Matt was very surprised that I had not met with other bloggers and commentators in Papua New Guinea.

On the two occasions that I attended the Transparency International Annual General Meeting, I’ve noticed how tense and out of place everyone seemed to be. While I do understand the serious nature of the occasion, there was an atmosphere of plasticity unlike other meetings I’ve been to.

By Estella Cheung

THE agriculture sector has a huge untapped potential to create wealth and broad-based economic growth for PNG.
 New Agriculture and Livestock Minister Philip Kikala said this during his briefing with heads of commodities agencies and agricultural institutions on Monday, adding that the sector’s core contributions are in the areas of food security, cash income generation, employment creation and poverty alleviation.


Papua New Guinean's faces a vitally important choice. Should we continue to implement an imported and failed model of development, which is based on unrestrained capitalism, or return to our roots, rediscover our National Goals and follow a more Melanesian development path?

There is great confusion in Papua New Guinea over whether a Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate the issuing of Special Agriculture and Business Leases over more than 5 million hectares of customary land.

The Acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal, announced on May 6 that he would be setting up a Commission of Inquiry, but no instruments appointing the Commissioners or any further details were released.

From LNG Watch

Last week we posted an article which raised questions over whether electoral politics in its current form constitutes democracy, that is does it enhance the capacity of each individual to participate in the economic and political decision making processes that condition their life. We suggested decision making takes place at hermetically sealed levels, which ordinary people are excluded from.

By Brian Thomson

Thirty-six years after the people of Papua New Guinea gained the right to govern themselves they are still waiting on a government that gives them a fair share of the country's considerable resources.



"We have so much need for basic government services  in the midst of the all mines, all the riches being extracted from our land," says Ombudsman John Toguata.

The advert below was published in the Post Courier newspaper today, Friday 24 June.