By Joey Tau, Freelance Journalist Pacific Media *

Since the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) reports were tabled in parliament last month, members of parliament have taken a sloppy approach.

Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill when tabling the reports labelled the SABL policy as a miserable failure.

But there has been very little talk among leaders regarding findings and recommendations of the failed SABL policy, thus local landowners and civil society organizations are now questioning the stands of their political leaders.

The only vocal politician and Governor of Oro Province, Garry Juffa has spoken out through the media blaming agencies responsible for reviewing and monitoring policies such as the SABL, saying “the organizations and entities that have been designed to be able to monitor, prevent, save or recoup such issues are moving very slow. They don’t have the resources; they don’t have the will or don’t have the drive.”

Governor Juffa said fingers can be pointed at foreign investors or the middle men negotiators, but the blame ends at the top “at the political level,” adding that there is lack of decisiveness among political leaders for change when such mechanisms are not in place or operating as expected and the same can be drawn to the SABL case.

“Not only land grabbing taking place and resource grabbing becoming the norm in our country, but we are also sitting back and doing nothing about it,” said Governor Juffa.

Meanwhile, Transparency International Papua New Guinea fears the outcome of recommendations and outcomes of the SABL reports might be ignored.

There are calls for the government to end all the leases and return resources back to landowners, but TI PNG’s Executive Director, Lawrence Stephens, said because a number of members of parliament have benefitted from what amount to rorts and he fears no action will be taken.

“And our fear is the discussion that is taking place in Parliament at the moment will again lead to a commission of inquiry which itself leads nowhere. In the meantime timber interests are helping themselves to the forests,” said Mr Stephens.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill assured parliament last month that his Government is focussed at protecting landowners and the environment stressing “we will no longer watch as foreign owned companies come in and con our landowners, chop down our forests and then take the proceeds offshore.”

O’Neill said a task force will be established to look into the issue of the SABL with wide consultations to take place; however, 3 weeks after the reports were tabled there is no word on the establishment of the task force.

* Commissioned by the Pacific Network on Globalisation.