By Joey Tau, Freelance Journalist, Pacific Media

The following brief was sourced from the executive summary and recommendations of the final report dated 23rd June 2013.

By ADRIAN MATHIAS, The National

ALOIS Jerewai, one of the commissioners in the inquiry into the Special Agricultural and Business Leases, says he is willing to repay at least K970,000 paid to him as wages to produce a report.

“I have assets to give back to the State because I (have) got nothing to lose,” Jerewai told journalists in Port Moresby yesterday.

By JIMMY KALEBE

The delaying of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report into Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) has angered many landowners in Maprik District in East Sepik.

In a landowner forum held last Friday local landowners in Maprik expressed concerns that this delaying of the report may mean the government is trying to overlook this report and do away with it.

Transparency International, PNG Chapter (TIPNG) has joined the chorus of voices of concerned institutions, individuals and civil society organisations urging the PNG Government to table the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Purpose Agricultural Business Leases ( SABL). 

Two years ago, the PNG Government initaited an official Inquiry into dealings in customary land that allowed foreign entities and private individuals to steal an estimated 2 million hectares of customary land across the country.

Produce SABL inquiry report in organised manner

Source: The National, Monday September 9th, 2013

THE chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the controversial Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABLs) denies claims of not delivering the final investigation report to the Government (The National, Aug 28). Chairman John Numapo stated that the COI report was completed and presented to the government’s chief secretary and then also said that a fellow commissioner is still finalising his report.

The MELANESIANS UNITED FRONT (MUF) is a group comprised of concerned Papua New Guineans, West Papuans and other fellow Melanesians. They have initiated the “Sorong to Samarai” campaign with the aim of reinforcing the legitimate calls by ALL Melanesians for West Papua to sit at the table of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) with its other Melanesian brothers and sisters. MUF believes that Papua New Guineans must support the unconditional inclusion of West Papua within the MSG.

By Online Editor

An NGO activist in the country has called for a total ban on the Deep Sea Tailing Placement system by mining companies operating in Papua New Guinea.

ACT NOW! Media Release

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has received over 1,000 emails over the last two weeks calling on him to publish the SABL land grab Commission of Inquiry Report.

The emails have come from all four corners of the globe, reflecting world-wide concern about the land grab in PNG which has seen rights to over 5 million hectares of customary land given to foreign companies.

The emails have been organized by community advocacy group ACT NOW!