From Radio Australia

By Joy Kisselpar on PNG Edge

The Ministerial Committee appointed by the National Executive Council (NEC) last year to look into recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) is yet to convene its first meeting.

The three-member committee was appointed by the prime minister when the final reports from two commissioners of the inquiry were submitted to government.

Community Advocacy group ACT NOW! says while it welcomes the Prime Minister's statement that illegal SABL leases need to be revoked, the delays in implementing this commitment are totally unacceptable.

On Thursday Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced he is appointing a Ministerial committee to look into implementing the Commission of Inquiry recommendation that illegal leases be revoked.

By Isaac Nicholas in Post Courier

THE national government will start cancelling special agriculture business leases (SABL) that were acquired illegally and restart the process with strict guidelines to protect landowners.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told a FM 100 Talkback show yesterday that Cabinet has appointed a ministerial committee headed by Forest Minister Patrick Pruaitch and relevant industry ministers of Lands (Benny Allen) and Agriculture (Tommy Tomscoll) to take note of the SABL Inquiry report and implement its recommendations.

From ABC Radio Australia

An international expert on land-grabbing says the Pacific has some of the world's worst examples of the practice.

Land-grabbing happens when, usually foreign companies, buy or lease large tracts of land for a pittance robbing traditional owners of a birthright that has been theirs for generations and which should be providing an economic future for their children.

From Bismarck Ramu Group

Non-government organisation Bismark Ramu Group (BRG) is calling on Prime Minister O’Neill to support the call by SABL Commissioner John Numapo to revoke illegal SABL leases or face a swelling grassroots backlash throughout the country.

BRG spokesperson Rosa Koian said her organisation strongly supports Commissioner Numapo. “Over 5.2 million hectares of land are affected by these leases. Sixty six of the 75 leases investigated have been unlawfully issued.

From Associated Press

The president of Palau declared Tuesday that his Pacific island nation will ban commercial fishing and become a marine sanctuary.

President Tommy Remengesau Jr. said in a keynote address to a UN meeting on “Healthy Oceans and Seas” that once current fishing contracts with Japan, Taiwan and some private companies expire only fishing by island residents and tourists will be allowed in its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

By John Papik on Radio Australia

By Jo Chandler in The Global Mail

Only the Amazon and Congo basins rival Papua New Guinea for pristine tropical wilderness. But 5 million hectares of its jungle is under threat from foreign land grabs and back-door logging. The PNG Government is under intense pressure to tear up illegal leases – but the chainsaws haven’t paused.