ILLEGAL LAND GRABBING CRACKDOWN Source:The National, Monday December 2nd, 2013 THE Government is determined to crack down on illegal land grabbing in the country. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in a statement the Government was concerned about illegal land grabbing would get to the bottom of it. “Whether it is customary land or prime land in the city, the Government will do all it can to take back land illegally taken away from Papua New Guineans, and punish those responsible,” O’Neill said. As a result of widespread illegal land grabbing in PNG, then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal instituted a Commission of Inquiry in July 2011 into the granting of Special Agriculture and Business Leases in the country. The inquiry was extended by O’Neill. The report by the commission was given to the Government on June 24 and tabled in Parliament in August. The commission was asked to examine 75 leases. They only examined 42. Of the 42, only four leases appeared to be proper and commercially viable with bona fide landowner consent. The rest of the leases were illegal or seriously compromised. Despite the flaws, the commission had recommended in the report that the leases (SABLs) be continued. It made general recommendations to improve the integrity of the process. O’Neill told Parliament that the freeze on the SABLs would continue. He directed the Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allan (pictured) to appoint a Task Force to identify a new legislative framework to: *Provide for the conversion of customary land into leasehold land for the benefit of landowners; *protect the interests of landowners; and, *Ensure sustainable land use. “For too long, landowners have been taken advantage of and had their land stolen, in some instances, with the help of people in positions of power and responsibility. “The Task Force will be consulting widely so that everyone has an opportunity to contribute. “The use of customary land is a sensitive issue and this government is committed to getting it right,” he said.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 04:55:15 +0000
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