Whilst customary landowners continue a struggling fight to keep and retain their land from cronie investors, members of parliament begin to realise the plight of people in thier provinces, and the peak of land grabbing in Papua New Guinea. 

It is great to see and read that members of parliament are joining the campaign against illegal land grabbing.

Stop illegal Land Grabbing billboard at 9mile, NCD supported by Hon. Lai Amaiu, Member for Moresby North East and Vice Minister for Sports.

Source: The Post Courier

Parlt debates land grabbing

Morobe Governor Kelly Naru has called for the blacklisting of people who were involved in the "notorious business of land grabbing."

This was in support of a query by Usino Bundi MP Anton Yagama in Parliament yesterday, that a businessman in Lae had entered in deals to acquire the land where Madang town’s public bus stop was located.

Mr Naru said the Lands Minister and the department responsible should start taking administrative measures as well as engaging the fraud squad to investigate such people and entities.

Mr Yagama had raised his question to the Lands Minister as to what criterias were followed in awarding the land, section 31, allotment 31 and 32. The issue also made East Sepik Governor Sir Michael Somare rise from his seat saying that particular persons whom he decided not to name had acquired another land in Morobe, 15 years ago and had yet to develop it.

Lands Minister Benny Allen responded, saying that under the Land Act, if a land was undeveloped within five years of acquisition, forfeiture was warranted.

This also applied to the urban development lease.

Yagama also went on to claim that the way the individual had acquired the Madang land was fishy because he applied in the morning and got it in the evening of the same day.

Minister Allen was asked to let the provincial governments have their own land boards.