Do not Sell your land for Fast Money, PM Marape cautions Landowners

 PNG Prime Minister  James Marape has cautioned traditional landowners throughout Papua New Guinea not to sell their land for fast money.

He said this at Napanapa outside Port Moresby today (Thursday October 28th 2021) when launching the Napanapa Pilot Project on Customary Land, a pioneer project of Kuriu landowners from Roku Village in Central and international development partners, developed with assistance of the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.

It promises to be the biggest housing estate in Port Moresby and the country when completed and is consistent with the Pangu Government’s ‘Take Back PNG’ agenda.

The occasion was witnessed by Acting Australian High Commissioner to PNG Paul Lehmann, Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Hon. John Ross and Secretary Benjamin Samson, landowners, development partners and bank representatives

PM Marape handed over two State leases for 585-hectares of land to landowner Chairman, Inogo Gabe, to develop into the Tuhava Satellite Town to serve the growing accommodation and municipal needs of Port Moresby.

He said the Kuriu landowners were a model for PNG in that they had avoided the “lustfulness and temptation for quick money”.

“This is something that I discourage,” PM Marape said.

“I do not want land alienated from our people forever.

“The 462,000 square-kilometres of land (in PNG) is 97 per cent owned by Papua New Guineans and passed on from generation to generation.

“This is something that our Pangu-led Government, in 1975, deliberately allowed to remain in the hands of our people.

PM Marape said this was especially important in the modern cash economy, hence, his Government was adamant that land remained with the people.

“In the instance of commercial development, we envisage that the vision of 1975, remains the vision of today’s generation of leaders,” he said.

“This is both in politics and the public service, so we empower our landowners going forward, as is the case we are seeing today.”

PM Marape commended Chairman Gabe and all landowners for avoiding the temptation of fast money to develop their land on a sustainable basis for the long-term.

He said the landowners now had secure title over their 585ha of land, which could be further sub-divided into 4000 allotments, which would assure them of a regular income now and into the future.

PM Marape said he wanted to see laws changed so that landowners earned from lease of their land.

“That is wealth creation, people empowerment by landowners, trusting Government to tailor policies to ensure people are empowered,” he said.

“For the life of me, and my present generation of Pangu, we will not alienate land from the people but register, survey and park it back with you.

“That is truly a ‘Take Back PNG’ policy – empowering people so that you can earn money from your resources."

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