Lands Minister establishes working ties with ABG

Tuesday, October 07, 2014


THE Autonomous Bougainville Government needs to establish its own land and physical planning board to deal with land matters in the region.
Lands and Physical Planning Minister, Benny Allan highlighted this in a brief discussion with President Dr John Momis in Buka during a recent visit to establish good working partnership with ABG.
“Two important things that must be established and that is the land and physical planning board so that ABG can deal with its own land matters,” Minister Allan said.
He said the national government through the lands department will assist closely in the implementation of the relevant boards together with ABG’s Minister for Land, Newton Kauva.
“This is so that ABG can have its own land and physical planning board to plan how they can use their land without waiting for approvals from the National Land Board in so far as allocation and granting of land title is concern,” Mr Allan said.
The minister said this is in line with the government’s policy on decentralization of powers.
“The Boards will complement the government’s policy in terms of helping ABG make decision on land applications and also to assist ABG in planning its towns and constituencies.
“With the O’Neill-Dion government’s decentralization of powers down to the provincial level and more money being pumped into provinces, it is obvious that there would be expansion in our provinces and ABG is no exception. That is why we need better planning when it comes to land development,” the minister said.
President Momis, the father of decentralisation satisfied with the discussions said land matters are real in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and such partnership is vital.
“Partnership to work together is growing and this is the way it should be. Enough of opposing national government initiative. Joint partnership is important, without national government and ABG nothing will eventuate,” Dr Momis said.
He said such assistance to have ABG with own land and physical planning board is timely and will complement its own land policy which will be in place soon to speed up land matters in the region.  
Meanwhile, they have also discussed the possibility to have a ‘Bougainville House’ to be built in the National Capital District to oversee ABG administration.

Hon. Benny Allan, MP
Lands & Physical Planning Minister