The Southern region workshop for customary landowners is set to run next week.
This follows at the back of the strategic partners summit, which was described as a fantastic success by the Lands Minister.
Different outcomes and resolutions were brought to light during the three-day strategic partners summit last week.
Stakeholders and customary landowners shared their concerns and insights on longstanding issues affecting traditional land.
Stakeholders involved in the discussions included financial institutions, the mining, oil and gas sector as well as property developers.
After the strategic partners summit, the landowners workshop will be hosted in the four regions, starting with Southern.
“And with that, we invite, and I encourage, all landowners, chairmen of Incorporated Land Groups, and everybody in the Southern region to register immediately,” said Lands Minister Justin Tkatchenko.
“We’re going to be talking about all the rules and regulations, the laws so we can finally get it right. And this is about helping our customary landowners to develop their land now and into the future. Not taking away their land, but helping them with their land so they cannot be spectators on their land but they can actually be participants.”
“It is a grand opportunity for landowners to be empowered,” added acting Lands Secretary, Oswald Tolopa.
“We have the systems in place. If we need to improve on that, we need them to come forward and tell us what problems they are experiencing.”
The customary landowners workshop for Southern region will be hosted at Port Moresby’s International Convention Centre.
For those who are unable to attend, the Lands Minister is also encouraging written submissions, whether it is from landowners, individuals, politicians or organisations.
“We can assess them and put them as part of the final resolutions for the new customary laws that we will put forward to Parliament after the Lands Summit in May.”
(Filepic: Alotau, Milne Bay is part of the Southern region)