Incorporated Land Groups (ILG)

However, he said that ILGs are a good concept but were abused by self-interest of people for their own greed.

MP Rosso was responding to questions raised by Governor for Gulf Chris Haiveta on the floor of Parliament this morning.

Governor Haiveta was asking about what the Government is doing to help customary landowners to benefit from their land without selling it.

“Many ILGs are created on top of ILGs which were already created causing many confusions among the landowners," MP Rosso said.

BNL’s Corporate and Social Responsibility (C&SR) Manager, Timothy Andambo highlighted this to stakeholders during a meeting in October in Porgera with officials from the Papua New Guinea Civil and Registry office.

The country’s Civil Registrar, Dickson Kiragi, visited Porgera in October to officiate at a NID program launch for the Tuanda clan- one of the seven major clans in the Special Mining Lease (SML) area.

This took place on October 7 at the Apalaka village witnessed by community leaders, including senior managers of BNL.

“Under the old Act those ILG groups that have registered will expire on February 17, 2017, meaning the new Act will come into force,” Minister Alan said in Parliament on Friday.

He added that landowners will have to renew their ILG certificates by advertising it in the media and if there is no objection the ILG will be renewed under the new Act.

Minister Alan also challenged all parliamentarians to encourage their people to register their customary land and not sell it cheaply.

The Minister was responding to a question from Pomio MP Elias Kapavore.