World asked to recognise PNG’s role

PAPUA New Guinea has asked the world to acknowledge the important role its forest plays in mitigating climate change, hence, necessary steps to conserve it should be taken, Northern Governor Gary Juffa says.
He spoke in Parliament yesterday when presenting a petition from the civil societies of PNG about the severe logging issues and the related challenges the country continued to face.
Juffa said the problems ranged from questionable resource concession allocations, illegal issued special agriculture business leases and forest clearing authorities, the lack of free prior and informed consent requirements, logging tax evasion and human rights abuses.
“These issues have collectively driven environmental destructions, natural resource and biodiversity loss and have led to huge social and economic loses for our rural communities,” Juffa explained.
“The Papua New Guinea Forest Authority and the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, as the State agencies responsible for safeguarding our forest resources, have proven over and over again that they are unable or unwilling to ensure our laws and regulations are properly implemented and followed.”