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Recent lease cancellations in PNG prompts call for action on SABLs

Source: Pacific Beat, ABC 

Activists in Papua New Guinea say the cancellation of two leases in Port Moresby highlights the government's inaction in scrapping other controversial leases covering millions of hectares of customary land.

Last week the Secretary of the Lands Department cancelled two leases over Ela Beach after the local MP publicly alleged they'd been obtained corruptly - a claim disputed by the lease holder.

Eddie Tanago from advocacy group ACT NOW! says if the department can cancel two leases less than a week after receiving complaints why is it taking so long to cancel the controversial SABL leases.

In 2013, a Commission of Inquiry found most of the SABLs were fraudulently obtained without the consent of landowners and the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill pledged to cancel all of them.

Two years on, Mr Tanago says most of the leases remain in tact, but the Ela Beach decision shows the Lands Department can act quickly when it wants to.

To listen to interview click the link below;

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-15/recent-lease-cancellations-in-png-prompts-call-for/6778142