The Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs) over customary land has been the subject of much debate in recent months. On our part, we [Post Courier] have been investigating these land deals, and have done our part by exposing some of those fraudulent activities with the help of the affected landowners, non-government organisations and green groups, who have also been taking up the fight, on behalf of the village people who have lost their rights to their land in these dealings at the government and international levels.


The loss of rights to their land is not the only worry for the indigenous people of Papau New Guinea. Due to the amendments to the Environment Act, landowners are also prevented from seeking legal redress for damages to their environment. For those people who have been fighting the Government, the developers and those that support the SABLs, they will definitely celebrate, now that the Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal has announced that a Commission of Inquiry into the SABLs. Mr Abal did not state clearly when the Commission of Inquiry will be appointed and its terms of reference, but we anticipate that it is only a matter of time when this process will be competed.


We have been investigating the lease lease-back scheme and the SABLs, and we know that the Commission, to be appointed, has a huge task ahead. Over 5.2 million hectares of land represent 10 per cent of PNG’s total land area and the Commission will have to travel to all those places to collect statements from those affected as well as from the Government officials from relevant Government Departments that were involved in these SABLs. 
We also applaud the Government for putting an immediate moratorium on the issuing of any further SABLs until the Commission of Inquiry has been completed and Parliament has debated its recommendations.


We also commend the Acting Prime Minister for suspending all Forest Clearance Authorities granted under the existing leases until the Commission of Inquiry process has been completed. 
The decision to appoint the COI, the moratorium on the SABLs and the suspension of all Forest Clearance Authorities, will go down very well with those that are affected by the leases. 
The decision will off course upset some people. But why should they be worried if they have done nothing wrong? It is all for the benefit of PNG and the people of this country that the Commission of Inquiry is a must.