Source: Radio New Zealand

Calls continue to mount for an overhaul of the way land is managed in Papua New Guinea amid claims that foreign companies have been unlawfully granted rights to 12% of the country’s land mass.

The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has indicated he is about to table the long-awaited report by a Commission of Inquiry into Special Agricultural Business Leases.

Source: Radio New Zealand

Papua New Guinea’s Minister of Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allen says the government is looking at reducing the size of the Special Agricultural Business Leases.

The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has signalled he is about to table in parliament the long-awaited report by the Commission of Inquiry into the SABL system.

Mr Allen says the leases - some of which covered up to a million hectares - were problematic because their size meant various issues where multiple landowner groups were involved.

Source: Radio New Zealand

Papua New Guinea’s Minister of Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allen says his ministry is investigating a number of questionable transactions within the Lands Department.

The Ministry has invited complaints about land dealings throughout PNG and is commissioning a team to investigate all land deals alleged to have been fraudulent.

Mr Allen says many complaints are filing in and some relate to corrupt dealings within the department.

Last Thursday two groups of people came head to head over who really owns the land area on which the former Milinat plantation was on.

Mabonob villagers clashed with some settlers brought on the land by claimant Sali Tagau.

The villagers carried placards calling for the arrest of Mr Tagau and blaming the PMIZ for provoking this fight. The Mabonob villagers said, “this land ownership title is being disputed in court and several restraining orders have been issued to Mr Tagau but he continues to ignore these orders.”

“He must be arrested,” they said.

John Numapo (Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases) has siad in an interview with Radio Australia that the Final Commission of Inquiry report is almost ready to be released. The report with the recommendations will be handed to whoever is the Prime Minister after the current elections. 

Martyn Namorong* 

There are strong indications that several Land Grab Leases will be declared void by the Commission of Inquiry into Special Purpose Agriculture Business Leases, due to discreptencies in the process of land acquisition.

By Scott Waide

By Deborah Moses

The Commission of Inquiry into Special Purpose Agricultural and Business Leases (SABL) in the Western Province has heard more damning evidence of local landowners losing their land to conniving loggers without their knowledge, reports the Post Courier.

Commissioner Nicholas Mirou is hearing into SABLs granted for land portions 27c, 1c and 14c in the North Fly District where tragic tales of land loss similar to cases recorded in West Pomio and New Hanover are emerging.

By John Pangkatana

Many “unanswered questions” were believed to have forced an extension to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the acquisition of Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) in West Pomio, East New Britain Province.

This is due to revelations about forged signatures and lack of consent by women witnesses at the close of the inquiry at Vunapope, Kokopo on Friday.

By Martyn Namorong*

When Keith Jackson asked PNG Attitude readers to put forward suggestions to Julie Bishop’s foreign affairs and trade adviser, Sam Riordan, I sent the following response: