From EMTV news

Failure to produce and implement a full Commission of Inquiry recommendation over the controversial Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL’s) is causing distress for innocent landowning communities in rural areas.

The people of West Pomio in the East New Britain Province, are one among those facing the plight of losing their land and suffering ill treatment to their forests by foreign developers under SABL agreements.

By Colin Filer* on DevPolicy Blog

From PNGexposed blog

Mr Kila-Pat “unlawfully caused a SABL to be created, which he further unlawfully granted to an entity not even agreed upon by the landowners” [p 59]

“…Romily Kila-Pat deliberately decided to ignore and by-pass the existing protocols and practices… when [he] decided to grant three separate SABLs … over Portions 2456C, 2466C and 2485C”. [p153]

there was “misrepresentation and fraud involved in the whole process”… “His conduct was ‘highly suspicious”  [p164]

From PNGexposed blog

SABL Commission of Inquiry Report 1: Pages 51-67

“The SABL was invalid and improper.” [p62]

“The DLPP file contains three different versions of the Land Investigation report (LIR) by two different investigators, all of them incomplete and defective.” [p54]

The LIR “fraudulently contrived and concocted to legitimize a prohibited activity, was deceptive and dangerous…” [p62]

Lester Seri

"Project to be nation builder"

From Rimbunan Hijau (The National)

THE Gilford Palm Oil project in the Sigite-Mukus area of West Pomio is described by developer Rimbunan Hijau (RH) as a nation-building project that will contribute significantly to the people and country.

In a statement from RH, the 30-year cycle project is said to cost K750 million – one of the company’s biggest investments in PNG.

By Jimmy Kalebe in Post Courier

THE Turubu landowners of portion 144c in East Sepik planning to stage a protest march if their graviences are not fully addressed by the authorities.

The landowners have drawn up their petition and presented it to the authorities, especially the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and Wildlife, Lands and Physical Planning and the Forest and Climate Change departments.

From Radio New Zealand

There are claims Papua New Guinea has lost a third of its territory to foreign companies, which the think tank the Oakland Institute calls one of the swiftest and largest land grabs in recent history.

The Institute, along with the Pacific Network on Globalisation, or PANG, has produced a film called, On Our Land, which documents the loss of land under the Special Agriculture and Business Leases.