The Prime Minster made a call to people on the floor of Parliament today, not to bring their hammer and nails and build houses if they do not have land titles.
He was responding to questions from Moresby Northeast MP John Kaupa on the eviction of settlers in the city.
Marape said there will be no more evictions for the time-being due to humanitarian rights such as COVID-19 and schools about to resume.
“I have told the Minister for Lands that the state lands that are vacant at the moment must not be occupied so that we can set up a proper residential area our people,” said PM Marape.
Marape stressed that there will be no more issuance of land without proper land titles; hence, a program is going on to avoid settlements, and build proper residential areas for our citizens, at the same time respecting the indigenous land owners.
He added that the recent eviction at the Garden Hills settlement was not good as far as humanitarian is concerned.
“Papua New Guineans must see this as an example and not to build houses where they do not have land titles to.
“There will be no more evictions in Port Moresby. The three MPs of Port Moresby and the Minister for Lands are looking into converting the settlements into proper residential suburbs for average Papua New Guineans,” he said.