Customary Land

Time to Root Out the Rot in PNG Logging

Editorial: Post Courier August 25th 2020

Last week we applauded the government efforts through a joint effort that uncovered illegal workers and unregistered equipment in a logging operation in PNG’s Northern Province.

In fact, our exact phrase was to urge the PNG Government to “deal decisively with foreigners who do not respect our laws”.

In a Post-COVID World Govt Must Drop Plans For Bankable Customary Land 

Date: 2 July 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic still expanding across the globe, ACT NOW is urging the PNG government to drop its plans to put customary land into the hands of commercial banks.

The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated once again that customary land is a vital and irreplaceable resource for our families and communities.

In a Post-COVID World Govt. Must Drop Plans For Bankable Customary Land 

With the COVID-19 pandemic still expanding across the globe, the PNG government is being urged to drop its plans to put customary land into the hands of commercial banks.

“The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated once again that customary land is a vital and irreplaceable resource for our families and communities”, says Campaign Manger, Eddie Tanago.

"It should be inconceivable that the government would put customary land at risk by allowing commercial banks to hold the title as security for financial loans".

What are the lessons? Seeing the COVID-19 crisis through a PNG lens

The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasises the message that our customary land is our social safety net, our security, our life, our sustenance and our provider and must be protected at all costs.

Source: Scott Waide - My Land, My Country - 24 March 2020

So it’s a global pandemic with 15,000+ dead already, 350,000 infected and nearly 105,000 recovered.