Commission’s boss clarifies role

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday February 13th, 2014

 By JOHN ZAUYA

Acting Lands Title Commissioner Benedict Batata says it deals with customary land and not state leased land.

Batata said the LTC was a quasi-judicial body that was part of the court system with powers under the Land Tenure Conversion Act to deal with customary land.

He said the LTC did not issue titles. It only set up hearings to deliberate on applications.

He said comments made in the media recently about land-grabbing issues and stating the commission as the office responsible for the issuance of titles was wrong.

Batata said recreational or public land was state leased land and therefore did not come under the commission’s ambit.

He said the Registrar of Titles at the Lands Department was the relevant body to issues titles.

Batata said that the Land Tenure Conversion Act provided the legal requirement or process for interested Papua New Guinea citizens to register their customary land. 

They can apply to the commission to set up a hearing to deliberate on their applications.

He said after processes are followed according to the Act and without any objections from parties on an application, an order was made and signed by the commissioner and sent to the Registrar of Titles at the Lands Department where the titles were issued.