Radio New Zealand

Papua New Guinea’s government has appointed a ministerial committee to review the recommendations and findings by the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Leases.

The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, speaking on Radio FM100, said the committee has been given two months to complete a review.

He said Government agencies such as the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, Forestry, and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock will execute the review.

In September, Mr O’Neill tabled the Inquiry’s report which said the leases were marred by corruption and mismanagement.

The Bismarck Ramu Group says over five million hectares of PNG land have been taken up by foreign parties mainly for logging, rather than agricultural projects.

The NGO’s Rosa Koian has questioned the involvement of government agencies in the review, saying they can’t be trusted to implement the recommendations.

She says all leases found to be illegally established must be revoked.