The Chief Secretary has announced the government has a new way forward on implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Lease land grab.
But ACT NOW! says the government's statement lacks any substance and is just the latest in a long series of excuses and delays.
ACT NOW! has welcomed the suspension of Lands Secretary Romily Kila Pat but says his replacement, Luther Sipison, must act immediately to cancel the unlawful SABL leases.
The governor of Papua New Guinea's Oro province, Gary Juffa, says illegal logging and deforestation continue under the Special Agriculture and Business Lease system.
The leases, commonly known as SABLs, have been consistently criticised as being a front for land grabbing.
Secretary for Lands Romily Kila-Pat has finally been suspended – you can read some of the newspaper coverage from last week below – but the corruption in the Lands Department has yet to be properly addressed.
Kila-Pat, like his predecessor Pepi Kimas, has overseen numerous illegal lands deals and was infamously involved in many of the unlawful SABL leases – but the corruption in the Lands Department runs far deeper and two important questions need answering:
Vilages in the Aitape Lumi District of West Sepik are sending a message to the Prime Minister they want the SABL land grab reversed and the leases cancelled.
SABL awareness continues on to the East Sepik Province. More and more people, mostly women and children are signing SABL postcards addressed to the Prime Minister calling for an end to the land grab. Signing has been ongoing in the West Coast area of Araimi, Kotai, Dogur and Makopin villagers.
Activists in Papua New Guinea say the cancellation of two leases in Port Moresby highlights the government's inaction in scrapping other controversial leases covering millions of hectares of customary land.
Last week the Secretary of the Lands Department cancelled two leases over Ela Beach after the local MP publicly alleged they'd been obtained corruptly - a claim disputed by the lease holder.
