Lands Department

NCD Governor Powes Parkop said in Port Moresby, there is a need to get titles as some people are doing corrupt deals to steal land reserves for recreational parks, roads and drainage reserves for personal gains.

Parkop said in order to prevent that from happening and to stop the deals at the Department of Lands, NCD has to get the title.

He said 23 state land titles was a good start when the Minster for Lands presented it over to NCDC earlier last month.

Lands Minister, Benny Allan, made the blunt statement on Thursday during a media conference in Port Moresby.

His comments follow several calls made by NCD Governor Powes Parkop, for the establishment of a NCD Land Board so that the NCDC can properly control and plan the development in the city.

Minister Allan said since the National Land Board is based in Port Moresby, there was no need to have a land board for NCD.

The article revealed that there is a possible large scale scam that affects land belonging to customary landowners in the Port Moresby LNG corridor, which falls within the administrative authority of KPPA.

The role of the KPPA is to facilitate, regulate and manage the park, this includes planning and coordinating development through engagement of current and future stakeholders and bringing in investment.

The article, published on April 2, is titled “Is Konebada Petroleum Park Authority a scam?”

This was announced in Parliament on Thursday by Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, Benny Allen.

The Minister announced this when he delivering a Ministerial Statement on the status of SABLs.

“I am pleased to announce that the Government has revoked and called for the surrender of all SABL titles and in set in place a process to convert all these titles and present them to customary landowners under the revised Incorporated Land Groups System and the new Voluntary Customary Land Registration System.

Magistrate Cosmas Bidar gave his ruling against Kila-Pat, the Lands Department manager of finance and budget Vavine Walo and Corporate director Simeon Andrew.

They will return to court for their next mention and give an indication of their section 96 statement or their response to the court finding sufficient evidence against them.

All three were arrested on one count of conspiracy and one count of misappropriation each.

It is alleged that the trio, on October 14 last year, conspired within the Lands Department to apply to their own use the sum of K208, 569.70.

The newly-elected chairman of the Popondetta Oil Palm Growers Association (POPGA), Arnold Koko told Loop PNG this week they have been waiting for more than 20 years to obtain land title documentations for their oil palm blocks.

Some applicants have died trying to obtain those vital papers, passing on the issue to their next of kin.

This follows the public outcry pertaining to fraudulent land deals in the country involving officers from the lands and physical planning department colluding with foreigners and opportunist to rip the citizen off. 

Prominent businessman, Gibson Nakandaul who owns Branis Recycling Limited said his company was the successful applicant of the vacant state lease section 17, Allotment 13 after the land had been declared vacant following the forfeiture of lease to the original owner.   

 Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allen said most of the landowners have raise concern about the SABL issues and the government is on the right track by hearing their plight.

He added that most developers of SABL have not complied with processes and procedures in the agreement which leads to this decision made by the government.

He said while the committee has been set up to look into the matter, the Department of Lands have taken a different  approach in dealing with the matter.

Announcing the appointment today, Lands Minister Benny Allen welcomed Sipison and congratulated him for his appointment.

Acting Deputy Secretary for Land Services Lawrence Ndrombut says this is because 97 percent of land in the country is traditionally owned.

The State owns only three percent of the land.

He says the department is dealing with a lot of issues on traditional land owners and now it realises that an entity devoted to traditional land should be the way to handle the situation.

“This is so the government can focus on traditional land issues and have them dealt with effectively,” Ndrombut says.