Land compensations affecting project implementation

DELAYED compensation payments to landowners affects the implementation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects and programmes in the country, says head of portfolio management Maria Villareal.
Villareal told the ADB 2019 PNG Year in Review in Port Moresby yesterday that availability of land to complete ADB funded projects in provinces was an ongoing challenge.
“The land availability issue is the one that hit us hard when it comes to project implementation,” she said.
“Among other issues we faced, delay in land compensation by the Government is the big one.
“We cannot do much about it but only try to follow up.”
Villareal gave as an example how it took ADB and development partners about 16 years to clear a piece of land in 2017 to implement a particular project.
She said there was a weak coordination between the lands department, provincial authorities and landowner groups. The ADB’s top priority area is the transport sector with 62 per cent of the total funding.
Next is the health sector with 24 per cent, energy sector with 10 per cent and other sectors 4 per cent.
“The health projects are going to be affected because the selection criteria is land availability,” Villareal said.