SABL

Baina SABL project deal suspicious

Submitted by rait man on Tue, 03/01/2012 - 14:02

By Luana Paniu

All necessary requirements for the granting of a Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) to the Baina Agro Forestry project may hold political interest, according to the Commission of Inquiry last week.

During questioning of former Central Provincial Lands Manager, Cliff Boutau, the inquiry discovered the discrepancies with this particular SABL proved that plans had already been underway for Oil Palm development under the SABL on portion 29C Milinch Kase and Fourmil Buna for the term of 45 years.

Civil society slam loggers access to controversial SABL leases

Submitted by rait man on Fri, 23/12/2011 - 16:51

Environmentalists in Papua New Guinea have raised concerns about foreign companies investing in controversial land leases, reports ABC Radio.



In the latest investment, Hong Kong logging firm Pacific Plywood has joined forces with China's largest state owned timber company, Longjiang Forest Industry Group.



The investors plan to develop a 628 square kilometre lease in the East Sepik Province. 

The companies say the region has more than 2.5 million cubic metres of timber. 



Information on Vanimo SABL hearings not available

Submitted by rait man on Fri, 23/12/2011 - 16:45

No information pertaining to the Inquiry into Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL) in Vanimo have been made available to the media since its proceedings last month, reports the Post Courier

It has been revealed that two boxes, containing the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) recordings made during the hearing had in fact been diverted by Air Niugini from Vanimo to Wewak’s Boram Airport where it was off loaded and remained in the Cargo office for two weeks.

Three landowners companies sign duplicate logging sub-leases

Submitted by rait man on Wed, 14/12/2011 - 16:12

By John Pangkatana

Three separate landowner company executives have made questionable sub-lease arrangements with international forestry developers that have the same company secretary in the Gulf Province, reports the Post Courier.

Their respective sub-leases are an exact replica of each other, the Commission of Inquiry in SABLs in Gulf Province established in Port Moresby yesterday. 

The developers are also believed to be subsidiaries of a prominent Malaysian logging company in Papua New Guinea.

Commission hearings to end by March 21st

Submitted by rait man on Wed, 14/12/2011 - 16:00

By John Pangkatana

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) secretariat said they had a target to complete all listed hearings into Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs) by March 21, due date set by the National Government, reports the Post Courier.

Chief Commissioner John Numapo yesterday gave the assurance that despite some recent hiccups they were projected to complete all hearings listed.

Reminder of earlier findings of fraud and incompetence in Dept of Lands

Submitted by tok stret on Wed, 14/12/2011 - 04:16

While the Commission of Inquiry into Special Agriculture and Business Leases continues, revealing the layers of corruption and incompetence in the allocation of the 99-year SAB leases, the PNGExposed blog has republished the findings of an earlier Commission of Inquiry which reported in 2009 the Department of Lands was corrupt and incompetent. Its recommendations for a full Commission of Inquiry into DoL were ignored….

Lack of consultation for Kerema-Melparo SABL

Submitted by rait man on Fri, 09/12/2011 - 16:57

By John Pangkatana

LANDOWNERS say there has been no meaningful consultation or engagement with them by the proponents of the Kerema/Meporo Agro Forestry Project.

This was highlighted as part of the people’s objection to Koaru Resource Owners Company Limited’s application for a Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) for Portion 323C in the Gulf Province, during the Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

Sepik SABL rights traded for millions on the international market

Submitted by rait man on Thu, 08/12/2011 - 16:03

Timber rights in the Nuku Maimai SABL (Portion 26C) in West Sepik have been traded for hundreds of millions of dollars on the international market as the newswire story below reveals

 

Pacific Plywood Acquires Harvest Rights for 65,800 Hectares of Forest in Papua New Guinea

Total Investment Involves HK$310 Million