Hitat is a local community based organisation in the Rempi area in the Madang province. The group met this week to show off their SABL messages for the government and logging companies...

Source: Radio Australia

There's concern that logging of forests will continue (Credit: Audience submitted) 

Community groups have welcomed the Papua New Guinea Government's announcement it will abolish special agricultural business leases.

The leases paved the way for millions of hectares of customarily-owned land to be taken over by large corporations for so-called agricultural projects.

A new report from the United Nations highlights the global cost of the illegal exploitation of natural resources and its role in preventing sustainable development for the world's poorest people.

Titled 'The Environmental Crime Crisis' the report estimates the illegal trade on natural resources is worth between US$70 and US$213 billion a year.

Joy Kisselpar | PNG Loop

Logging activities on all 44 land obtained under Special Agriculture Business Lease will cease as soon as the National Forestry Authority receives confirmation from Lands department that the SABLs have been effectively revoked.

Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa says at this stage 25 SABLs have been returned and revoked however NFA is yet to receive confirmation.

Papua New Guinea Government

National Executive Council

Decision No: 184/2014

Subject: MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON SABL

On 12th June 2014, Council:

1.  noted the contents of Policy Submission No. 157/2014;

Action the talk and implement the cancellation of the SABLs!

Source: PNG Mine watch

Logging activities on all 44 land obtained under Special Agriculture Business Lease will cease as soon as the National Forestry Authority receives confirmation from Lands department that the SABLs have been effectively revoked.

Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa says at this stage 25 SABLs have been returned and revoked however NFA is yet to receive confirmation.

Hundreds of thousands of traditional landowners in Papua New Guinea will get their land back this week.

Source: PNGexposed blog

Lands Department Secretary Romily Kila Pat has has his dirty thieving hands all over the SABL land grab scandal – as we detail below.

But this is the man Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is entrusting with the job of revoking the illegal leases!

This is a complete joke and it shows just how shallow the Prime Minister’s commitment is to dealing with the SABL land grab.

Source: The National

THE Department of Lands and Physical Planning has started the process of cancelling 25 Special Agriculture Business Leases identified by the Commission of Inquiry reports.

Department secretary Romilly Kila-Pat has directed the Registrar of Titles to immediately start work on revoking the leases.

Kila-Pat told reporters that a special SABL taskforce would be appointed by the ministerial committee on SABL.

By KONOPA KANA, POST COURIER

AN INDEPENDENT task force set up by the government will carry out investigations into the commission of inquiry (COI) on the special agriculture business leases (SABLs) uncompleted reports.

This was revealed by the Secretary for the Department of Lands and Physical Planning Romilly Kila Pat in a press conference yesterday.

The details of which government agencies and appointees to head the taskforce will soon be announced by the government through the National Executive Council.