By ZACHERY PER
THE National Government is seriously thinking about developing 97% of the country’s land mass currently in the hands of customary landowners.
This totals up to more than 460,000 square kilometres.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Land, Physical Planning and Mining Dr Puka Temu revealed this in Goroka last Friday when officially launching an urbanisation programme.
Dr Temu said only 3% of the total land mass was State land utilised by the Government and private organisations.
He said urban migration that spurred urban population growth had strained the limited public utilities services provided on State land, especially in towns, adding that the Somare-Temu Government, in a bid to address the issue, had devised a new land reform policy.
He said the policy would pave the way for customary landowners to allow their land to be developed whilst they keep the titles and be landlords.
“The Government’s initiative would result in town boundaries expanding and huge land masses developed with landowners meaningfully participating in the process,” he stated.
Dr Temu also said customary landowners with valuable assets on their land would have the advantage of reaping maximum benefits under the urbanisation programme.
“Land is a sensitive issue in PNG, to let go has been difficult but if we continue to hold onto land, we will never develop in this competitive world,” Dr Temu said.
He thanked Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith and the people of Faniufa village on the periphery of Goroka town for accepting the policy to trial the policy as a pilot project.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Community Development, Women, Religion and Sports Dame Carol Kidu said it was important under the urbanisation programme how they should keep urban settlers and landowners happy when shifting them around.
She said that last week, the National Executive Council (NEC) endorsed a youth policy that will be incorporated into the urbanisation programme, aimed at empowering youths to participate meaningfully.
Likewise Housing and Urban Development Minister Andrew Kumbakor said 97% of the land was “sleeping and are in the hands of customary land owners”.
He said they needed to be utilised meaningfully to contribute in the growth of PNG.
Mr Kumbakor challenged stakeholders to support the programme by registering land in order to participate in the development process.
Dr Temu, Dame Carol, Mr Kumbakor and Faniufa landowner representatives Mr Martin Aole signed a memorandum of agreement to affect the Faniufa project.
Another similar urbanisation project was launched at Minj, Western Highlands province last Saturday.