Minister for Lands & Physical Planning, John Rosso says that by acquiring land, the government will be giving confidence and the security needed by investors to conduct their businesses in the country.
Minister Rosso said, “Because a lot of investors coming into the country, what they are scared of is dealing directly with landowners, we have to give them that confidence, that security, and that’s by acquiring the land.”
Alienated land in the country is approximately 4 percent of the total land banking in Papua New Guinea.
“Some of the land, 50 percent will be acquired to put in areas where like police stations, government centers, which we will outright acquire.
“For the others, like residential and businesses, we will try to do it in partnership with the landowners, so the landowners also have equity in these takes, similar to some of the concepts that we have already successfully delivered, not just talked about it but successfully delivered,” said Minister Rosso.
He added, “This land expansion development program, it’s a focus for government to try to expand our current land holding and ensure that our people get security, build news suburbs for the, put roofs over their heads, fix our settlement problems in our cities and urban areas and also build new towns.”