Land

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the full economic potential of land is not being realised because majority of the land is customarily owned and difficult to access due to complications surrounding customary land tenure such as ongoing and recurring disputes over boundaries and ownership. Apart from this, customary land titles (leases) are not considered as adequate for security (collateral) for banks to extend credit. This is a barrier to investment, income-earning opportunities, and furthermore, socioeconomic development.

Kevin Chan of Y&C Enterprise Ltd was caught off guard yesterday when Lae residents; Tracy Terence, Bak Robert and Lemek Luke, confronted him and questioned him on how he had acquired a portion of land at the Lae Rugby League grounds along Markham Road.

A research by PNG’s Think Tank, The National Research Institute search highlighted the need for improvements in the effectiveness of the Voluntary Customary Land Registration (VCLR) system.

The Spotlight article titled ‘Understanding how the effectiveness of voluntary customary land registration system can be improved’, written by NRI Research Fellow, Logea Nao.

According to Ms Nao, the VCLR system can provide land with proper titles for sustainable development and has been developed in PNG.

This is to help address the urgent need for better information at all levels of society about customary land, its values and threats.

Customary land is the most valuable asset to most Papua New Guineans buts its role and importance are often misunderstood, especially by outsiders.

He says the current trend of mass eviction is creating a problem for Central Province as more and more people are settling on customary land.

“The Government must prepare land for the people to resettle,”

“Once you chase them out they wont sleep in the air or they wont sleep in the water, they will come to my people’s land,” said Haoda.

More than 90 per cent of Central Province land is customary, however, there are alleged instances of land being acquired through dubious deals or illegally being settled on.

Since Monday, contractors moved into the area to demolish houses after notices were given out in January this year. The first notice was issued by NCDC in December last year. This is for the Six-Mile to Bautama four-lane road construction.

The demolition exercise is taking place to clear the 20m corridor that is road reserved land.

Speaking to the media today, community leader Japhet Notai, on behalf of his community, asked for assistance from NCDC to provide them an alternative area to resettle.