New Lands entity to be in place next year

National
Source:
The National,Wednesday June 29th, 2016

THE Lands Commission and PNG Land Titles Commission will soon be incorporated into one entity by next year.
“This new entity will allow both commissions to share resources and  man-power, however we have not come up with a name for the merged entity as yet,” says acting commissioner for Land Commission Benedict Batata.
Batata said the roles of both entities under merger would remain the same.
“Our legislation (National Land Commission Act) allows for people who do not have legal background or are not lawyers to be appointed as commissioners, whereas for Land Titles Commission only lawyers can be appointed as commissioners,” he said.
“We hear their application and if it’s in order we award how much state should pay, that’s basically our responsibility.
Their job involves dealing with cases for people who claimed ownership for state leases.
“For those portions of land which have been acquired as State leases or national land, there is a process where the minister for lands declares them and allows for people who claim ownership of those portions of land to make claims for compensation and settlement payments.