By Lorraine Jonathan, NRI Media Unit

Papua New Guinea's Land Act 1996, provides an avenue for customary landowners to participate in economic development on their customary land. The process by which this is done is lease their customary land to the state in return for the state granting a special agricultural and business lease (SABL) over the land. This lease lease‐back system was designed to enable customary landowners’ access to credit for agricultural ventures on their customary land.