From Post Courier

An environmental conservationist from East New Britain has suggested that the highly controversial special agriculture business leases (SABL) should be abolished and replaced with special economic leases for specifically prescribed food crop farming, animal husbandry and other non logging commercial projects.

Founder of the Tavolo conservation area in the Melkoi Local Level Government area of Pomio district, Terence Naka, said the concept of special agriculture business leases has been grossly abused by foreigners as well as local companies used as fronts by vested foreign interests.

Mr Naka said the recent national Government sanctioned investigations has proven numerous instances of gross abuse of the agricultural lease system, including illegal logging, destruction of virgin forest through clear felling, leaving irreparable environmental damage to flora and fauna, rivers and reefs.

He said under the special agriculture business leases, genuine customary land and resource owners are not properly consulted, resulting in them totally missing out on meaningful participation and being deprived of equitable benefits from projects established under this scheme.

Mr Naka, who has initiated and managed the Tavolo Conservation area for over eight years, proposed that special economic leases should be established after proper social mapping and landowner identification is completed.

He also proposed that all lease approvals should only be granted by land and resource owners, and affected local level and provincial governments.

Mr Naka said under this new economic lease arrangement, lease holders should be restricted to a specific business activity and any abuse of the terms and conditions of the lease should result in immediate termination or cancellation of the lease. "If one obtains a special economic lease for a cattle project, it must strictly be for that project and they should not go into crops, chicken and piggery, oil palm or other businesses," he said.

"By enforcing strict adherence, the government will actually be enabling specialised business activities, resulting in high quality products and increased production for both domestic consumption and international markets."

Mr Naka described the current agricultural lease system as an outdated concept with colonial connotations that best suits foreign fortune hunters including planters, foresters, miners and others who came to make fast money for themselves.

"An indication of this fact is that under this system, there are no strict provisions of enforcement of specific conditions, the cancellation of leases and/or forfeiture of properties in the instance of abuse or illegal acts.

"Times are fast changing and it requires our policy makers and law makers to move with changing circumstances by ensuring that the land and resource owners have a greater say in the ownership and exploitation of resources on, in and under their land and sea," Mr Naka said.