Customary land tenure is an inherent feature Papua New Guinea society and culture and its protection is enshrined in the nation’s legal framework. It is also highly contentious. Powerful economic interests ensure customary land tenure is always at the forefront of national and local debates about development and wellbeing.
It is time for Papua New Guinea to stop relying on destructive large-scale extractive industries and build an indigenous economy based around our land and our people.
Projects like the ExxonMobil LNG, new mines and large-scale logging don't benefit rural communities or our economy as the revenues and profits are kept overseas while local people suffer the negative social and environmental impacts.
The recently completed National Land Summit is just the latest manoeuvre by government to try and take control of customary land away from communities. That fact is exposed in both the 2019 Budget Statement and the recently published Summit Outcomes [attached below].
ACT NOW! has welcomed the announcement of the PNG Electrification Partnership with its aim of connecting 70% of the country to affordable, reliable and clean electricity by 2030.
The Partnership is between the government of PNG and Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.
Source: Eddie Tanago, ACT NOW!
ACT NOW! is again calling on the government to publicly release the draft ICAC law that it has promised will shortly be debated by Parliament.
There have been so many delays over the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption that the government cannot be trusted not to have watered down the Commission’s powers and that it may end up as just another toothless tiger.
Source: Loop Business, April 24, 2019
The risks and uncertainties of experimental seabed mining are too great to allow this industry to ever proceed in Papua New Guinea.
This was the view shared by seabed mining advocates, together with locals of West Coast Namatanai and representatives of Duke of York Islands, East New Britain Province, during an open forum in Namatanai.
Source: Post Courier, April 23, 2019
OUTGOING Justice Minister and Attorney General Steven Davis has expressed frustration at the delay in giving power to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
He blamed the ‘Waigani jungle’ and the lack of commitment from senior public servants to get the ICAC Bill back to Parliament. The Bill was passed 91-0 almost 5 years ago.
Source: FRANKLIN KOLMA / Post Courier
THE PNG government now has one week left to give a response to the United Nation’s third letter of concern on the issue of ill-treated SABL – special agriculture business lease.
A short video warning customary landowners about the government’s intention to use the National Land Summit to spark a new land grab has been viewed more than 13,000 times in less than a fortnight.
Produced by ACT NOW!, the video explains how the Land Summit will lead to commercial banks and foreign companies being given more access to customary land. This is in response to the government being forced to stop the issuing of new SABL leases.