MP urges govt to provide more funding for land mediators

Islands

RABAUL MP Dr Allan Marat says land mediators play a major role in assisting the Government achieve its plan to free up 95 per cent of customary land but their positions have been underfunded.
“About 95 per cent of the total land mass in PNG is customary land,” Marat said, speaking to 46 court officials and land mediators in Rabaul last Friday.
“And all the government talks about freeing up customary land and go into incorporated land groups.
“But that will not free up customary land. Only the land dispute procedure is the way to go.
“Funding follows function – meaning the Government through legislature has passed a law in the land dispute settlement act creating the position of a land mediator and it must also make budgetary allocations for their wages and other conditions in the recurrent budget.”
Marat said land mediators were helpless and should not be blamed because there was no incentive to keep them going.