LAUNCHING OF THE DLPP WEB-SITE – 21 ST JUNE, 2005

By P.S.Kimas - Secretary

Thankyou Master of Ceremony

Development and commisionning of DLPP website is a vast improvement in our effort to keep in touch with the global community. More significantly though, we hoped the facility will vastly improve many of our lands services to the public and especially to the investors both locally and internationally.

But first and foremost, may I take the opportunity to acknowledge the presence of ;

Honourable Minister Puka Temu – Minister for Lands and Physical Planning

Other Government Ministers

Foreign Diplomats and dignitaries

Departmental Heads and Heads of other Government’s Institutions

Chief Executives and Heads of Business Houses

Other Senior Public Servants

The Ever hardworking Executive Management Team members and all staff members of the Department

Our good media representatives out there, Ladies and Gentlemen

The colourful display of the first page and numerous other pages as you scheme through the site, thus demonstrates the clear intention of the Department to promote the cultural diversity of this country to all corners of our global “village” especially targeting the investment world, the tourist and business travelers as much as providing significant support to the Department in its role to encourage land-based and other forms of investment.

The management hoped the site will further enhance the Department’s effort to effectively inform the investors, government institutions and the public at large of its roles and responsibilities and more importantly the processes, procedures and the overall workings of the department.

Minister, Iam of the believe that the site will impact vastly in the government’s overall effort to encourage effective multilateral partnership with the Government, the investors, resources owners and NGOs in all aspects of development.

In line with your directives as per the DLPP corporate Plan and the recently signed 2005 Work Plan, today’s occasion marks an achievement of a significant milestone.

However work is continuing to further improve the DLPP land-based information system through the effective and efficient use of computer technology. Such development includes the following enhancement projects initiatives;

Hook-up Geographic Information System and the LAGIS component is further developed, due to be completed by the 30 th of June 2006.

The Department in consultation with other relevant organizations hope to link-up to at least ten other organizations both within government set-ups and private sectors. This is to be achieved by 31 st of March, 2006.

A Pilot project aimed at connecting all Regional offices is completed and successfully tested connecting Lae Office to LAGIS via wireless system.

Rabaul and Mount Hagen to be completed by year end, 2005.

Provision for networking to other organization should be available by the 31 st of December this year or if not sooner.

Whilst the department continue in its effort to improve its communication linkages, it is aware of the security risk to important hard-copy records of numerous important documents, which could if destroyed back-stepped the economy and other form of development by few years.

We should continue to remind ourselves of past incidence that it took more than two years for the colonial administration to come up with the appropriate legislation (Restoration Ordinanceof 1947) to restore the New Guinea titles after they were destroyed in Rabaul during the 2 nd world war.

Minister, the Department is working on a project to digitize especially the titles and the customary land purchase documents.

It would require an investment in excess of K2 Million from current estimate.

Minister, the hands-on development of the site itself has its own highlights, the officers have worked extremely hard to achieve what we have before us for your launching.

The development of the DLPP website is a unique and

practical example of team work, capacity building, and use of talented Departmental Human Resource and available facilities.

In short it is an example of having faith in our staff and their ability to face challenges they never faced before.

It is a healthy and productive cooperation and partnership between the Department and the AusAid assistance through ASF and SAGRIC International.

Each of these projects require a huge amount of technical, financial and administrative resources and capacity. At times implementation of these projects stretches our limited resources, but we have learned to use these opportunities to learn new ways of doing things in a smarter way.

As I said before the design and development of the Lands website has been an example of using the opportunity to learn and build capacity. We decided to implement it in-house using our own technical and human resources while drawing on the support and help from the ASF Adviser. This project has been managed by Mrs Lucy Gima, the Development Analyst working with our Information Systems, Communication and Technology (ISCAT) Unit. Her tireless efforts during last 4 months combined with the Executive Management’s support and appreciation and her Web Team of about 10 staff were the magical ingredient for success.

Our IT and Communication Unit has never been so busy with so many important projects underway. They are running computer training for the Department’s staff, developing data bases and web sites, improving communication with Regional offices, and upgrading hardware and software in the headquarters to name a few.

To the participants here, the launch of the website is only a beginning as we would like to receive your feedback so that we can improve and update our site to your liking and satisfaction.

Minister, the site here for your launching, from textural to graphic is developed almost entirely by the officers of the department, some may refer to it as “home-made”.

As the head, I take this opportunity to thank especially the key government agencies in the likes of ;

Office of the Chief Secretary

Department of National Planning and Rural Development

Department of Finance

The Department of Treasury

Office of National Cabinet Secretary

Ausaid through ASF and SAGRIC International and those who made it happened, Lucy Gima and the Web Team.

Given the leadership the support and many a time the patient you have accorded to me the DLPP Executive Management Committee and the Department, I present to you the DLPP Website.

Thank you one and all

P.S.Kimas