The unlawful use of Forest Clearing Authorities as a cover for illegal large-scale logging operations by foreign-owned companies has been further exposed in a new report published today by ACT NOW!
There is a very high risk that almost all logging occurring in natural forest areas in Papua New Guinea is illegal.
This is the damning verdict in a new Timber Legality Risk Assessment published by community advocacy group ACT NOW!
Papua New Guinea’s log export volumes are too high and the Forest Authority is failing to comply with the government’s reduction targets. This is according to the analysis of official data published by community advocacy group, ACT NOW!
Forest Clearing Authorities are being unlawfully used to facilitate large-scale logging operations by foreign-owned logging companies according to a new report published today by ACT NOW!, in collaboration with Jubilee Australia Research Centre.
The new report, which focuses on the Wammy logging operation in West Sepik Province, reveals how a Malaysian logging company has used a Forest Clearing Authority (FCA), intended to allow land clearing for agriculture or other land use projects, as a front to export hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of round logs.
Community advocacy organization ACT NOW! is today launching a new website, www.ddawatch.org to promote transparency and accountability in how government funds are used across all 94 Districts in Papua New Guinea.
The DDA Watch website will provide the general public, officials and academics with impartial and non-partisan information on the work of each District Development Authority, with the ultimate aim of helping to improve the quality of local infrastructure and service delivery.
In the last eight years, two finance companies and one equipment retailer have provided financing to at least 15 companies that are logging in PNG’s rainforests, new research by Act Now! and Jubilee Australia reveals.
The recently released 2022 SGS report regarding log exports in Papua New Guinea largely contradicts the Marape Government’s pledge to reduce round log exports and cease the issuing of new licenses to foreign owned logging companies.
A moratorium on new Forest Clearance Authorities, recently announced by the PNG Forest Authority, has been welcomed by community advocacy organization ACT NOW, but the group says the measure does not go far enough.
“We are pleased the National Forest Board has recognized that the FCA system is being widely abused and has ordered a halt on the issuing of new Authorities and an audit of all existing FCA projects”, says Campaign Manager Eddie Tanago.
Papua New Guinea’s latest corruption score is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to properly fund anti-corruption agencies and it confirms PNG as one of the most corrupt country in the world.
The recently published Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) shows PNG’s ranking has dropped six places from 124 th to 130 th out of 180 countries . PNG’s CPI index score which is based on public sector corruption has dropped from 31 in 2021 to 30 in 2022.
Papua New Guinea’s long-awaited Independent Commission Against Corruption must be allocated substantial funding in the 2023 Budget if the government is to make good on its anti-corruption promises.
Community advocacy group ACT NOW! stressed this, as the 2023 Budget sitting fast approaches.
“The Prime Minister has promised a fully functioning ICAC by 2023”, says ACT NOW! Campaign Manager Eddie Tanago.
“But there are two crucial pieces of the jigsaw that are missing, “ Tanago said.