Dear Minister Benny Allen,
RE: ENDORSING THE SABL LAND GRAB
Thank you for your response through the media [copied below] to the demands of affected landholders and the Prime Minister for answers on the SABL land grab.
The Prime Minister’s announcement of an Administrative Inquiry into the Manumanu land deals and naval base relocation is just another exercise in covering up corruption and avoiding justice.
We have seen numerous lengthy and expensive Commission’s of Inquiry over the years but no action to address the corrupt behavior they uncover. It will be the same with the latest inquiry, whether it is termed as a Commission of Inquiry or an Administrative Inquiry.
SOURCE: GRACE AUKA SALMANG - POST COURIER
THE proposed tax increase on log export announced in the 2017 Budget has been described as a big win for the people of PNG.
Source: PNG Exposed blog
The Prime Minister has again announced the government is cancelling controversial SABL leases and returning the land to its customary owners.
“I am pleased to say that all the SABL leases to be cancelled, instruction has now gone to the Lands Dept and as of today (last Friday) I can assure you that leases are now being cancelled” – see story below.
Source: Isaac Nicholas, Post Courier
LANDOWNERS in East New Britain Province have won a landmark legal battle to retake their “hijacked” land from the controversial Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL).
The people of Baining in Gazelle district had taken the State and developer to court over the SABL deal which has now been declared null and void by the National Court in Kokopo last Thursday.
There were some fine words from our Prime Minister in Parliament last week on the vital importance of customary land:
“Land, and its connection [to] our people is at the heart and soul of our country and our communities”.
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.
Today, June 24, is the three-year anniversary of the Commission of Inquiry reports that exposed the whole scam and confirmed the leases are unlawful.
The government is to ignore the SABL Commission of Inquiry and endorse the SABL land grab by converting the unlawful leases into registered land and issuing new leases to the logging companies.
Stop work notice highlights government inaction on SABL
Source: Post Courier Editorial
THE Government finally acted yesterday on a case that has been at the centre of illegal logging allegations.
PHOTO: Local landowners in Bewani, north-west PNG, inspect the damage from logging to one of their creeks. (ABC: Eric Tlozek)
By Eric Tlozek, ABC News
Papua New Guinea's government has indicated it will allow intensive logging under the pretext of agricultural development to continue.