Commercial banks want the government to change the law to make it easier for land leases to be used as collateral for loans, but their plans are ill-timed as the wider problem of corruption in the Department of Lands remains unresolved and this latest plan could mean the legality of fraudulent leases like the Special Agriculture and Business Leases titles could not be challenged.

The banks have issued a report calling for the authenticity of titles issued by the Department of Lands to be protected so the leases can become bankable.

By Jemima Garrett on Radio Australia

British think-tank Chatham House says Papua New Guinea could improve its international reputation and its forest governance by negotiating a forest partnership agreement with the European Union.

Photo: Papua New Guinea is the world's second largest producer of tropical logs but its timber industry has been under fire. (Credit: ABC licensed) 

Source: The National

NORTHERN Governor Garry Juffa has warned companies and individuals planning to develop natural resources in the province to seek permission from the provincial government first.

He sounded the warning after he was alerted on Tuesday that an overseas company had claimed in a foreign newspaper advertisement that it had secured 100,000 hectares of land in Northern.

From Radio New Zealand

A former governor of Papua New Guinea's East New Britain province, Francis Koimanrea, has urged the government to scrap the controversial Special Agricultural Business Lease system.

Under the SABL concept, over 70 long term land leases around PNG have been issued on behalf of landowners to foreign investors purportedly for agriculture projects but in effect mainly for logging.

“The days of illegal logging and land grabbing are over in Oro Province!”

From PNG Village

This was the warning given by Oro Governor Garry Juffa, to companies and individuals intending to develop natural resources of Oro or engage in agricultural projects.

They have been urged to seek the provincial government’s executive council’s permission first before sneaking in through the back door.

The announcement below taken from the website of the Malaysian Stock exchange shows how foreign companies are continuing to do deals over land stolen from the people of PNG in the SABL land grab while Prime Minister Peter O'Neill refuses to do anything to implement the Commission of Inquiry recommendation that the unlawful leases be revoked...

From Bursa Malaysia

From Radio Australia

By Melissa Martin in the Post Courier

The delay in executing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the controversial special agricultural business leases (SABL) has prompted landowners to protest.

Landowners from the areas of Pomata and Ralopal in East New Britain Province expressed their concerns in a peaceful protest last week.

While PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill sits on his hands refusing to cancel unlawful SABL leases and stop illegal logging, the Oro Provincial government is standing with its people against the Malaysian led land grab.

In a statement issued overnight, Oro Governor Gary Juffa has again committed his government to assist landowners:

"That the Oro Government stands by its people in fighting against land grabbing, illegal logging and is willing to support their court cases with its own legal team and attending as a party to all cases of such. 

By PNG Eco-Forestry Forum

Customary landowners across Papua New Guinea (PNG) have lost over 5.2 million hectares of their land to foreign owned companies supposedly for Agro-forestry projects through the controversial Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABLs) and have long waited for the government to decide on the fate of their land through the implementation of the SABL Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations.