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| A logging activity in Namatanai |
MEMBER for Namatanai Byron Chan is calling on the government to amend certain provisions of the Forest and Fisheries Acts.
He made this call upon learning that most developers in the forestry sector increasingly ignore or vacate project sites without fulfilling their social and other development obligations.
Mr Chan said his electorate is one example where logging firms mainly from the Asian origin are logging without any consent from the landowners or the Namatanai local level government.
“As a result there is no tangible development and people turn to suffer most from the forest destruction and other social and environmental issues arising from unrecognized logging activities.
“Therefore I’m now asking the national government to relinquish some powers under Forestry Act or either amend it to allow Joint District and Budget Priority Committee (JD&BPC) to take part with the developers through MOA agreements,” Mr Chan said.
He noted that while landowner companies are doing a tremendous work in the forestry sector they too, do not have the capacity to implement what is required of them in terms of service delivery and other development initiative.
Mr Chan stressed, “It would be good if JD&BPC work hand in hand with the landowners or the developers to bring the desired development outcomes the local people need. And that is good and safe drinking water, improved health facilities and schools and other road network infrastructures.”
The member added that Fisheries Act should also be amended to allow fishing areas or Maritime Provinces to have their own fish processing factories.
He said currently all fishing is done in New Ireland and Bougainville waters and it would be proper if a fishing factory be erected in Kavieng or Namatanai for that matter.
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| People turn to suffer most from the forest destruction and other social and environmental issues arising from unrecognized logging activities. |
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