By Pasifika Wardrobes

Since the reports of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) were presented in parliament last October, Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill appointed a ministerial committee to look into the findings and recommendations of the inquiry.

The committee included forestry, agriculture, and lands ministries, and the ministers responsible were tasked to review the COI reports and set a way forward.

The Prime Minister again in October (2013) announced on FM100’s talkback show that the committee had been given two months to review and make final recommendations to parliament on SABL.

Came December 2013, the two months lapsed and since then the committee has failed to meet.

The media only learnt recently that Forestry Minister, Patrick Pruaitch was appointed as the head of the committee, but he had failed to comment on the progress of the committee.

Even the Lands Minister, Benny Allen, and Agriculture Minister, Tommy Tomscoll, confirmed that the committee never met since it was appointed.

To date, the committee has never met but the Prime Minister keeps covering up that his government is looking into the issue of SABL.

When presenting the COI reports in parliament, O’Neill termed SABL as “a miserable failure” and said his government would ensure that landowners aren’t fooled into such corrupt and illegal land dealings.

As his government continues to delay the situation, illegal logging continues in the country.