Call for fair return of land use

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill, pictured, says all customary landowner must have a fair return and benefit from their land used for development.
O’Neill told the National Land Summit on Friday that practices of only a few benefiting under the pretext of providing leadership for landowners must be stopped.
“We must not allow one or two individuals to take advantage of the rest of the people in rural communities,” he said.
“We have seen evidence in the past where landowners groups were formed to benefit the community but a few individuals took advantage of it.
“The real rightful benefits do not end up with the landowners at all.
“Only few of them benefit under the pretext of providing leadership for the landowners.”
O’Neill said land in PNG was fertile and ideal for agriculture and other developments.
He also said the country’s population was growing at an alarming rate resulting in government service delivery becoming a struggle.
“Land will continue to be a problem because of population growth,” he said.
“Every citizen, every customary landowner must have a fair value and benefit out of the land that we are using. Not only resource development but every development, be it a housing project or business.
“We have to find a solution and this process of the summit and consultations that you have had will enable us to do that.”