SABL Campaign Updates

MP stresses need to protect land

Kundiawa Gembogl MP, Tobias Kulang, has stressed the need to protect the land and the environment for future generations.

“Land is our security. It is our hope for the future. When the extractive industries have exhausted the mineral, petroleum and the gas wealth on our land, what we will be left with is the land,” Mr Kulang said.

“The point is straight forward- our land is not for sale,” he said.

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Create ways to save land, says Malabag

Unscrupulous foreign corporations and greedy papua new guineans are stealing land, breaking up communities, and depriving them of their sustenance using corrupt officials, lies and violence. The Government must do more to protect both state and customary land. Say NO to land alienation and land registration schemes!

Source: The National, Wednesday 27th March, 2013

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PNG lease fiasco blamed on incompetent bureaucrats

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister says incompetent bureaucrats have given developers a "free run" by granting a series of controversial leases.

ABC Radio Australia

A Commission of Inquiry's been investigating more than 70 Special Agricultural and Business Leases covering more than five million hectares.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has received the Commission's interim report which he'll table when Parliament next sits.

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PM blasts officials over dodgy leases

Source: ABC - Liam Fox

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister has blasted his public service over the granting of controversial leases covering more than 10 per cent of the country.

In recent years more than 70 Special Agricultural and Business Leases, or SABLs, have been granted covering more than five million hectares.

Critics say the leases are a back-door way to clear-fell forests and many have been granted without the permission of traditional owners.

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Pundari gets tough on SABLs

Source: The National

ALL special agricultural business leases (SABL) granted prior to the issuance of an environmental permit are illegal, Minister for Environment and Conservation John Pundari said yesterday.

The minister would not approve any more environmental permits on SABLs until the Commission of Inquiry into the issue is made public and cabinet has determined an appropriate course of action.

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Mald: Scrutinise Land Deals

Source: The National

ILLEGAL land grabbing activities involving foreigners should be properly scrutinised by the government, former MP and minister Andrew Mald says.

“Papua New Guineans are being forced into entering into deals with local landowners in Port Moresby and elsewhere to build their homes because they are unable to buy state land,” he said this week.

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The Davos World Economic Forum and Pacific Land Rights

The below report from Radio Australia News goes one step further in emphasizing the point that we have been trying to make. If only those that we appointed to represent us in that prime Haus Tambaran over at Waigani really paid attention and really did their research they wouldn't be fooled so easily.

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The SABL Delusion

 Special Purpose Agricultural Business Lease or SABL

In case you are in the dark what an SABL is, as the name implies is a special lease that was provisioned for under Section 11 of the Land Act (1996)

 ‘the Minister may lease customary land for the purpose of granting a special agricultural and business lease’

This lease was supposed to give traditional landowners economic benefits from the rent and employment opportunities created by those businesses that leased land from them.

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