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).

The value and importance of customary land in supporting the lives and livelihoods of most Papua New Guinean’s is being celebrated in a new television advertising campaign launched by ACT NOW!

White, sandy beach at Busamang village in Salamaua LLG area, a natural property of the peoples that can be utilized for ecotourism business. 

By Wakang Awasa Luthou / For and on behalf of the coastal stakeholders of Wafi-Golpu mine 

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. 

 _{^{A man paddles a canoe on the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea Photograph: Renato Granieri/Alamy}}

Source: The Guardian

Entire villages would be wiped out if a natural disaster hit dam on PNG mine, critics say.