Land summit gets attention, positive feedback

The regional land summit workshops are receiving huge attention and the feedback is positive, Lands and Physical Planning Minister Justin Tkatchenko says.
Speaking from Kokopo with the team for the New Guinea Islands (NGI) workshop, he said the turnout was evident that people were concerned about their customary land.
The first land summit workshop was held in Port Moresby for the Southern region last month.
Tkatchenko said the first workshop received good suggestions for reforming customary land for benefit of people.
He said the second workshop for the Mamose region was attended by about 1000 customary landowners.
“It was a very productive workshop which saw some constructive ides and conversations,” he said.
“Currently, in Kokopo for the NGI land summit, the response is overwhelming.”
The Highlands region workshop would be held in Mt Hagen later this month.
The final workshop will be in Port Moresby in May, to put the resolutions together for customary land in our country.
Tkatchenko said last month that the government has no intention to take away customary land from its owners.
He said at the Southern region lands summit in Port Moresby that “we (the Government) are here to listen to you and hear how we can resolve some of the issues that we are now facing when it comes to customary land”.
Tkatchenko said the land summits were to help the landowners to solve many issues relating to customary land.
“This is your forum today, this is about going through the subject matter and how government should improve on the laws and regulations of customary land in PNG.”