By Kingtau Mambon | UPNG Economics Tutor

Loop PNG

The Popondetta District Court has issued court orders on companies operating in the Musa Foru area, from carrying out any logging activity. 

Governor for Oro Gary Ju a has applauded the move, saying Musa Century Limited and Musa Valley Management have been prevented from logging activities including the shipment of logs from the area for a period of 90 days, until issues pertaining to the concerns of the landowners are addressed. 

Map showing the location of the Kamlapar Carbon Credit Project

Landowners in New Ireland claim a US based company is illegally selling carbon credits on the international market that it has obtained by fraud. The landowners have written to the government and the international company that is verifying the carbon credits to try and stop the sale.

By Eddie Tanago, ACT NOW! Campaign Manager

The Forest Authority must stop aiding and abetting logging companies identified by the IRC as defrauding the State and landowners by evading taxes and must prevent them accessing even more areas of forest to feed their criminal activities.

Papua New Guinea’s Internal Revenue Commission says the logging industry is “one of the most delinquent sectors insofar as tax compliance is concerned“.

The logging companies are guilty of “egregious” transfer pricing, “entrenched” tax evasion and “deceptive behaviour” says the IRC (see the full IRC statements below).

An arieal view of forest clearance for oil palm planting in West Pomio

By Paul Pavol

The people of West Pomio in East New Britain Province lost most of their land and forest under the controversial, government-backed, Special Agriculture Business Lease scheme. 

By Rex Sos

Heavy logging activity has been going on in Madang Province for the last 50 years.

Some 500,000 hectares of forest have been harvested and unique eco systems destroyed under the name of logging. 

The increase in duty on round log exports, introduced in the 2020 budget, is having a positive effect according to analysis conducted by ACT NOW!

The higher export duty has both increased government revenue and driven down the level of logs exports inline with government policy.