Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has commended Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Hon. John Rosso for spearheading historic reforms to Papua New Guinea’s land laws, describing them as essential to securing the future of the country and safeguarding the rights of landowners.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament during the tabling of amendments to six major pieces of land-related legislation, Prime Minister Marape underscored the significance of these reforms as PNG marks 50 years of Independence.

The reforms were passed by Parliament with strong bipartisan support and will be rolled out in phases over the coming years, starting in 2025.

“In the face of our 50th anniversary, some of these corrective updates in our laws must be made so we may secure the future of our country,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“Land is our people’s greatest inheritance—our playground, our home, our heritage. Every Papua New Guinean is connected to a piece of land somewhere in this country. We must protect it.

“One of the greatest pains I live with is seeing Motu Koitabuans lose their land. This law secures what limited land remains and prevents further erosion. It ensures no one sells or loses their land forever.”

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to digitising public services and using modern technology to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

“We’ve instructed the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Services and others to make sure that future recruitment, procurement, and tender processes are ICT-based and assisted by AI,” he said.

“We must eliminate the delays caused by walking office to office and remove personal preferences from the system.”

He also proposed the formation of a bipartisan committee to oversee the reform process and ensure inclusive, transparent review of the laws.

“This is not a political matter—it’s national. I thank the Member for Hiri-Koiari for chairing the Lands Committee even though he sits opposite. Let’s work together to ensure our people’s rights are protected,” he said.

Prime Minister Marape further announced the Government’s intention to allow properly registered customary land to be used as collateral, enabling citizens to access finance and unlock the value of their land.

“This is an important precursor to giving value to our people and the land they own as we celebrate 50 years of nationhood. Let’s get this done for them,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Rosso, who introduced the bills in Parliament, said the amendments to the Land Act 1996, Physical Planning Act 1989, Surveys Act 1969, Survey Coordination Act 1967, Land Registration Act 1981, and Valuation Act 1967 were designed to bring PNG’s land administration into the digital age.

“These laws have been modernised to cater for a new digital platform that will replace our outdated, cumbersome, paper-based processes,” Minister Rosso said.

“This is about ensuring land dealings, including communication with our people, are done in a timely, transparent, and efficient manner.”

He explained that each legislation had specific business processes that had been reworked to integrate ICT and improve delivery.

“The new digital system will enable us to manage, track, and process land transactions with accuracy and speed. Whether it’s land registration, valuation, or lease processing, we are moving into a fully electronic era,” he said.

DPM Rosso said the reforms strike a balance between protecting customary land ownership and enabling development where necessary.

“This reform is about balance—protecting our people’s traditional ownership while allowing the State to plan, build infrastructure, and develop the economy. We are not taking land away; we are protecting it and making it work for our people.”