Minister clarifies confusion over land

Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Justin Tkatchenko has clarified complaints of a community over recreational land occupied by an institution in Port Moresby.
Tkatchenko said there was a memorandum of understanding signed between the National Capital District Commission and Kumul Training Institute (KTI) to temporarily use the piece land for a period of time.
He said the land was not titled to Kumul, rather, still under NCDC as State land for public purposes.
“I have received a letter from Sir Mekere Morauta about the complaint and I have spoken to NCDC administration and administrator about the piece of land with the newly established land unit that was set up to acquire all public land back to NCDC,” he said.
“What I was told was that there was an agreement signed with an understanding that they could utilise the land for a period of time to help educate our people of NCD – that is what I was told by NCDC.
“In the meantime, that land has not been overtaken by KTI and is not titled to them. It is still under NCDC as State land and they have a MoU, they can temporarily use the land for their education purposes.”
Edward Sasale, a community leader for Gaveta Street in Tokarara, said communities around the area who use that land for sports and other activities did not agree with the decision.
Sasale said they were not properly consulted and advised by the NCD governor or the land board before it was fenced and added that they would be calling on authorities to put a stop to land-grabbers and leave the land as a recreational area for the children.