Resource ownership campaigning underway
Friday, 16 September 2011
IN what could become a dark horse election issue, a new political party in Papua New Guinea is based entirely on reforming resource ownership laws.
Papua New Guinea's National Parliament Building in Port Moresby
Former West Sepik provincial governor John Tekwie is establishing the Indigenous People’s Party – the second new party to focus on resource ownership issues according to Radio New Zealand.
An IPP spokesperson, Dick Ermot, told the radio station that the party wanted to reform resource laws over minerals, fishing and forestry and that returns from these industries to the people were meagre.
“I will tell you this, our economy’s reversed, from the developed world, it’s reversed,” he reportedly said.
“We own land. Land is our[s] and in the developed world all they have got is to sell their skills and get a job. Ours is the opposite.”
While Mining Minister Byron Chan and vice-mining minister Boka Kondra both advocate a transfer of resource ownership from the government to local landowner groups, the fledgling O’Neill coalition government is yet to discuss this proposal in cabinet.
The next election is due in mid-2012, and resource companies typically make easy targets during political campaigns.
Oiginal posted : pngindustries.net
