Abel: Identifying landowners vital

By HELEN TARAWA
Proper identification of true landowners through customary land processes currently being undertaken by Lands and Physical Planning Department will go a long way in assisting with the negotiations of major projects, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel says.
Abel, pictured, speaking on the second day of the Southern regional land summit workshop on Friday, said this was an important process that touched on everything that Government was doing.
“We want to make sure that critical people are involved in this process from the beginning, there is continued transparency, we share the benefits fairly and that our landowners are meaningfully engaged in these projects,” he said.
“Clan-vetting and proper identification of landowners didn’t happen in the first place for the PNG LNG project and we don’t want it repeated.
“Our people have needs, country needs revenue but there must be due diligence so right people benefit.”
Abel said it was important that at the end of the summit, there must be solutions.
He said the National Identification (NID) process was good for proper identification.
“Government has issues and challenges,” Abel said.
“That’s why this process is so important. Development process requires security of tenure.
“We need to be able to have a legal system that gives us security so development and investment can happen.
“We are so blessed that most of the land still belongs to us, the customary landowners. Some of the processes have begun and are crystalising.
“The intent is there: it enables us to have communal ownership of the land through the legal system.
“The landowners still own the land but they are able to produce a title and lease some of that land voluntarily for development.”
Abel said banks and investors must feel the comfort of that security so that the intentions were in the law.