Source: Post Courier online

Minister for Forest, Douglas Tomuriesa and Goodwill Amos with the Oakland Report during a press conference.

THE Internal Revenue Commission is yet to confirm whether many foreign logging companies are in the country are avoiding to pay taxes in Papua New Guinea.

Source: ABC News

An area of Papua New Guinea's internationally significant rainforests in excess of the size of Australia's entire Wet Tropics Heritage Area in north Queensland has been cleared or logged in the 10 years to 2014, a new report has found.

Forest Minister Douglas Torumiesa’s attack on a report alleging the logging industry is failing to pay hundreds of millions of Kina in taxes is full of errors.

“The Forest Minister’s statements attacking The Great Timber Heist are full of inaccuracies and must be challenged”, says ACT NOW! Program Manager, Effrey Dademo.

Source: The interpreter

Source: PNG Exposed Blog

We have been waiting two-and-a-half years for the government to cancel the unlawful SABL leases and stop the illegal logging, but they are still making excuses and doing nothing!

Latest to try and explain away the delays is Logging Minister, Douglas Tomuriesa [see story below]. He says 30 months is not a long time to take to implement the findings of the Commission of Inquiry and the government has not been dragging its heels!

The United Nations has written to the government demanding answers over the lack of action on the SABL land grab.

In a letter, dated February 17, the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination says it is concerned that no concrete action has been taken to cancel the SABL leases and logging operations continue. 

Source: EMTV online

The Oakland Institute report on The Great Timber Heist: The Logging Industry in Papua New Guinea, exposes massive tax evassion and financial misreporting by foreign logging companies, allegedly resulting in non-payment of hundreads of millions of dollars in taxes.

Source: Oakland Institute

A new report released today, The Great Timber Heist: The Logging Industry in Papua New Guinea, exposes massive tax evasion and financial misreporting by foreign logging companies, allegedly resulting in nonpayment of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.

Source: PNG Exposed

A Malaysian owned business registered in the United States is trying to raise $500,000 via the internet using the promise of profits to be made in logging an illegally issued SABL in Central Province.

MAS Project Management claims it has 'acquired' the 42,150 hectares of land known as Portion 29C which it will use for logging under an agreement with Baina Agro Forestry Limited.

Landowners protesting against the Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL). Picture courtesy of M. Namarong

The government of Papua New Guinea is threatening to endorse a huge and unlawful land grab by converting illegally acquired leases into registered land.