Sustainability of Land Groups in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This paper consists of a review of existing literature relating to Incorporated Land Groups in Papua New Guinea (PNG), followed by a case study of two urban incorporated land groups (ILGs) in the city of Lae. The paper is an attempt at assessing the sustainability of ILGs in the country. The challenges facing the ILGs have heightened public fears that the land groups may not be sustainable. Based on the argument in previous studies that the ILGs are not sustainable, the paper used primary data from two separate questionnaire surveys of randomly selected ILG landowners (including legal settlers) and ILG stakeholders to investigate the problem. The combined sample size of 129 respondents (32.7%) was representative of the total ILG population, while a total of 25 indicators were used to test the respondents' perceptions regarding ILG sustainability. Findings reveal that only one of the indicators received the positive support of the stakeholders, while no indicator was supported by the landowners. This suggests that the ILGs in PNG are not sustainable legal entities. This dilemma is a consequence of the challenges facing the ILGs, including the issues of corruption in the Lands Department, illiteracy among landowners, poor publicity given to ILGs' functions, and the dysfunctional ILG legal framework.

Cultural Lineage Constraints to Public Housing Affordability in Papua New Guinea

“…c) The ongoing codification of PNG customs by the Law Commission should be speeded up to streamline local customs across the country, demystify wantokism and facilitate sustainable customary land development. This is highly desirable in PNG in the wake of recent research findings confirming that the Incorporated Land Groups (ILGs), which control the use and development of customary land, are not sustainable (Karigawa, Babarinde, & Holis, 2016). Success in this direction would be enhanced by public empowerment drives, capacity building and economic emancipation of the general public that will ultimately reverse over-dependence of public servants on government-subsidized public housing units in towns and cities.…”

Influence of Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Development on Stakeholders’ Views, Concern and Reactions in Papua New Guinea

“…'Miss Caroline further asked the landowners, the tree farmers; 'What is your current status of land registration particularly, ILG formulation'. Karigawa et al (2016) in Sustainability of Land Groups in Papua New Guinea point out that under Section 13 of Environmental Act (1996), empowers the landowners through their ILGs to enter into development agreements with relevant stakeholders.…”

Plantations, Incorporated Land Groups and Emerging Inequalities Among the Wampar of Papua New Guinea

“…Others remain sceptical and point to the lack of information regarding the process of registration, the lack of confidence by landowners in these institutions and the high degree of corruption in the Lands Department as potential downfalls. They ultimately consider Incorporated Land Groups as unsustainable to safeguard the interest of the landowners (Karigawa et al 2016). Others are deeply concerned by the conceptual changes that take place once customary land ceases to be governed by customary law, as the connection between people and the land is severed: the use of ILGs and long-term leases effects a deep, fundamental transformation in the nature of social connection to land and in the nature of power.…”