Media Releases

Three years but still no action to cancel unlawful SABL leases

Submitted by ACTNOW on Thu, 23/06/2016 - 09:04

For three years Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has failed to cancel unlawful SABL leases affecting over 5 million hectares of land and has failed to deliver on his promises to return the land to its customary owners.

“Tomorrow, June 24, will mark the three-year anniversary of the Commission of Inquiry reports that exposed the whole scam and confirmed the leases are unlawful”, says Eddie Tanago, Campaign Coordinator for ACT NOW! 

Petition calls on Treasurer to investigate logging company tax evasion

Submitted by ACTNOW on Wed, 18/05/2016 - 08:25

A new on-line petition calling on Papua New Guinea’s Treasurer to launch an urgent investigation into the logging industry and its tax record has collected over 800 signatures in just 10 days.

The petition is a response by community advocacy group ACT NOW! to revelations most logging companies operating in Papua New Guinea avoid paying any corporate taxes, depriving the country of hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenues.

PNG government must act on international criticism over human rights abuses against its indigenous peoples

Submitted by ACTNOW on Fri, 13/05/2016 - 09:25

Civil society organisations are urging the Papua New Guinea government to take immediate action to end pervasive land grabbing and illegal logging after these issues were highlighted by governments around the world in formal recommendations put before the United Nations yesterday (1).

Seven reasons why govt plan to convert SABL leases must be rejected

Submitted by ACTNOW on Thu, 21/04/2016 - 07:11

The government is planning to convert unlawful SABL leases into registered land. Community advocacy group ACT NOW! says there are seven strong reasons why the government’s plan is wrong and should be rejected.

“The Department of Lands is drafting amendments to the Lands Act which will allow the government to endorse the unlawful SABL land grab”, says ACT NOW! Program Manager Effrey Dademo. 

SABL land grab, illegal logging and seabed mining on the agenda in Geneva

Submitted by ACTNOW on Wed, 30/03/2016 - 04:03

The government’s human rights record and its failure to protect the interests of customary landowners is under the spotlight in Switzerland this week.

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! is in Geneva briefing diplomats at the United Nations on the SABL land grab, illegal logging and experimental seabed mining.

“The PNG government must appear before the United Nations Human Rights Council in May as part of a process called a Universal Periodic Review (UPR)” explains Eddie Tanago, Campaign Coordinator with ACT NOW!

Forest Minister incorrect over The Great Timber Heist 

Submitted by ACTNOW on Wed, 09/03/2016 - 08:42

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! says Forest Minister Douglas Torumiesa’s attack on a report alleging the logging industry is failing to pay hundreds of millions of Kina in taxes is full of errors.

“The Forest Minister’s statements attacking The Great Timber Heist are full of inaccuracies and must be challenged”, says ACT NOW! Program Manager, Effrey Dademo.

Great Timber Heist emphasizes failure to cancel SABL leases

Submitted by ACTNOW on Wed, 17/02/2016 - 18:30

An explosive new report exposing tax evasion and financial misreporting by logging industry in PNG only emphasizes the need to cancel the unlawful SABL leases and stop the illegal logging says community advocacy group ACT NOW!

The Oakland Institute report The Great Timber Heist: The Logging Industry in Papua New Guinea, exposes how the logging industry avoids paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, depriving the country of much needed revenues.

Prime Minister's SABL excuses sound old and very lame

Submitted by ACTNOW on Fri, 15/01/2016 - 20:17

The Prime Minister is again giving excuses for why the unlawful SABL leases have not been cancelled. The PM is reported as saying despite an NEC decision in June 2014 ordering the cancellation the Department of Lands has been "dragging its feet" and some leaseholders have caused delays by taking legal action.

But Community advocacy group ACT NOW! says the Prime Ministers excuses are old and very lame.

APEC forest ministers urged to press PNG government to act on land grabbing and illegal logging

Submitted by ACTNOW on Thu, 22/10/2015 - 00:00

APEC Forest Ministers are being urged to question the PNG government about widespread land grabbing and illegal and unsustainable logging and press for action when they meet in Port Moresby next week

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! has written to sixteen APEC Forest Ministers explaining the history of the SABL land grab and the continuing problems of illegal and unsustainable logging in PNG.

Government announcement on SABL just more excuses and delays

Submitted by ACTNOW on Tue, 06/10/2015 - 11:29

The Chief Secretary has announced the government has a new way forward on implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Lease land grab.

But community advocacy group ACT NOW! says the government's statement lacks any substance and is just the latest in a long series of excuses and delays.