Media Releases

Vision 2050 'grossly misrepresents' our National Goals

The government's long-term strategic plan, Vision 2050, grossly misinterprets the National Goals and Directive Principles in our Constitution.

This is the major finding of a new study conducted by Patrick Kaiku from the University of Papua New Guinea.

"Vision 2050 ignores the visionary work of the Constitutional Planning Committee and does not embrace the five National Goals and Directive Principles enshrined in the Constitution", says Patrick Kaiku.

ACT NOW! welcomes announcement of APEC forestry meeting in Port Moresby

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! welcomes the government’s announcement it will be hosting the Third APEC Meeting of Forestry Ministers in Port Moresby in October.

“This is the first APEC Ministers meeting to be held in Papua New Guinea and will be an excellent opportunity to remind the region of our government’s terrible record on the SABL land grab and illegal logging” says ACT NOW! Campaign Coordinator, Eddie Tanago.

Birthday Bash to mark Finance Department Inquiry inaction

The Finance Department Commission of Inquiry uncovered massive fraud involving law firms and senior bureaucrats. K780 million of public money was stolen over a five-year period but nobody has been prosecuted for their crimes and none of the monies have been recovered.

This Thursday, March 5th, the community advocacy group, ACT NOW! is staging a “Birthday Bash” at the Holiday Inn to mark the fifth anniversary of the Commission Report being tabled in Parliament.

Forest Minister needs to back up words with action on SABL logging

Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa needs to ensure all logging in SABL areas is immediately stopped says community activist group, ACT NOW!

This follows assurances from the Minister that 74 Special Agriculture and Business Lease that were illegally obtained have been revoked and customary landowners would retain their land.

"The Minister is claiming the leases have been revoked, but logging still continues in many of the areas", says Eddie Paine, Campaign Coordinator for ACT NOW! "The Minister needs to ensure the logging is immediately stopped as it is illegal." 

Rainforest Summit must address land grabbing and illegal logging in Papua New Guinea

The Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit being hosted this week by the Australian Government, must address the serious problems of land grabbing and illegal logging in Papua New Guinea and the rampant corruption that underpins them, says community activist group, ACT NOW!

The forests of Papua New Guinea form part of the third largest remaining tract of tropical rainforest left on the planet - but ACT NOW! says this forest is quickly disappearing thanks to land grabbing and illegal logging by the Malaysian dominated logging industry.

New land laws premature - government must deal with corruption first

Moves by the government to review the Lands Act and introduce revised legislation[1] are premature and focus attention away from the real problem - corruption, says community activist group, ACT NOW!

“Changes to the law ignore the corruption that is at the root of most of the current problems with land administration and therefore any changes will do nothing to stop the ongoing abuses”, says Program Manager Effrey Dademo.