Incorporated Land Group or ILG registration is not the right concept to register customary land, but through Customary Land Law. A consultant from the Customary Land Law foundation of PNG, Dr Onne Rageau, made this statement in response to the Prime Minister’s call for all land owners to have their customary land registered by way of ILG.
During the launching of the 2019 lands summit resolutions recently, Prime Minister, James Marape, called on land owners to register their land, and have a tittle to it.
“Your land remains your land, but you have to register any tribal land against ILGs or against your name going forward, and that is something that we must endeavour to do,” Prime Minister, James Marape said.
However, in an interview with EMTV, Customary Land Law Foundation Consultant, Dr. Onne Rageau, explained that ILG is not the right way to register customary land. He stated that he is supportive of the Prime Minister’s call, but the best way forward is the Compulsory Customary Land Registration, under the customary land law.
“In support of the Prime Minister talking about having to register customary land, it must be done by the customary land law,” Dr. Onne Rageau said.
“On that note, the right law to use is the customary land law and not the foreign land law concepts,” he added.
Dr. Rageau said, the customary land law has been in practice for the last 12 years and it is the supreme law that will address all land issues, such as illegal land grabbing, adding that foreign land law concept such as ILG is depriving land owners on resource development benefits, and the Land’s Department must do away with this concept.
He further called on all members of Parliament, to work together with land owners, to register their land under the customary land law.
By Rayon Lakingu – EMTV News, Port Moresby
