ABC Radio Australia

Non-government organisations in Papua New Guinea are concerned that nothing will come of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's task force set up to examine findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the PNG's land scandal.

Over a decade more than 5 million hectares of land, belonging to tens of thousands of traditional landowners was leased out, in many cases without their consent.

The Commission of Inquiry was so concerned it recommended 66 of the 75 leases it investigated be revoked.

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! is backing the call from the leader of the SABL Commission of Inquiry for the Prime Minister to immediately revoke illegal SABL leases.

The head of the Commission of Inquiry, John Numapo, says it is clear the leases should be revoked because they are illegal. He says there can be no excuse for the government sitting on the Commission recommendations, which were presented to the Prime Minister 6 months ago.

Effrey Dademo, Program Manager for ACT NOW! agrees.

From ABC Radio Australia

Storebrand, the largest private pension fund in the Nordic region, is divesting its shares in eleven of the twelve palm oil companies in which it is invested. ”A victory for the rainforest and a crystal clear signal to the palm oil industry”, declares Rainforest Foundation Norway.

By Pasifika Media Wardrobes 

The Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) concept was found as a failed and illegal land scheme for Papua New Guineans and the many local landowners that underwent the concept of land leases.

Since the tabling of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the SABL in October 2013, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill promised that the reports were to be made public and action would be taken immediately.

From PNGExposed

You wont be reading this in The National (The Daily Log), here is one of the key findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the SABL land grab:

From Joey Tau writing on PNG Edge

From PNG Exposed

The complete SABL Commission of Inquiry reports from Commissioners John Numapo and Nicholas Mirou can be downloaded here:

In September 2013 Prime Minister Peter O'Neill presented to Parliament the reports from two of the three Commissioners appointed to investigated the SABL land grab.

The reports revealed a web of deceit, mismanagement and corruption surrounding the allocation of SABL leases to foreign companies which, in many cases, the companies are using as cover for illegal logging operations.