Caption: Secretary Kila-Pat handing the
certificate over to the ILG’s Deputy Chairman
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, March 9, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
ANOTHER land group were proud recipients of their ILG
(Incorporated Land Group) certificate on Monday, at the Department of Lands
head office in Port Moresby.
The Vaga Land Group Incorporated, from Kirakira
Village in the Nation’s Capital received certification that recognized by the
State, which enables them to conduct economical activities that are legally recognized
on behalf of landowner groups.
Presenting the certificate to the Vaga executives-
Department of Lands Secretary Romily Kila-Pat, encouraged the landowners to
work with the department to enable the fulfilment of the ILG’s established
purpose.
“One of the challenges that we have been faced with is to bring the
management together, and structuring the organisation in such a way that it will
respond to the environment,” he said.
“One of biggest challenge is to build with
our landowners, which you are no exception.”
He also reminded them of the various issues
that have occurred when executives of the established ILG do not live up to
their mandates roles in the clan groups.
“Please, in whatever you do, this is an
opportunity- a lot of landowners In our experience have come and have access to
big time benefits,” the secretary said.
“Executives take up on themselves and cause
fragmentations to occur, as a result they all miss out on a lot of
opportunities and the landowners are left with nothing.”
“So it is important that the executive that
have been entrusted to look after the clan business and the clan issues that
you must be honest in you dealings, and be transparent in whatever you do.”
He informed them of the requirement to
keeping his department abreast with the developments taking place under the
ILG.
“Every time when there is something big
happening and in family meetings, it is your job to inform everyone on what is
happening.”
“That is also a requirement under the ILG
that you need to do a feedback so that we know that the ILG is fully
functioning and what kinds of benefits are coming out of whatever arrangements
you enter into, so that they trickle down to our people and they get maximum
benefits.”
He told the Vaga Executives that the
Department of Lands was in a facilitating role of making things available for
them.
“You need to work together with our
development partners and everybody who is engaged in that project, so to let us
see something positive come out of this,” Kila-Pat said.
Deputy Chairman of the ILG, Sebea Rabura thanked the secretary- reassuring him
that they would be transparent in their dealing for the betterment of their
clan and village.
”We are very thankful for this certificate,
because we have waited for a long time for this and it has come and we are very
happy, and we will try our best in whatever you said to go ahead with our
projects and look after the members of our clan.”
“When there are fund available we will
release them as directed by all the heads for the benefit of all.”
Secretary Kila-Pat said that ILGs under the
new laws were vehicles the government was using to register customary land-
adding that the biggest benefit of Kirakira is that they have a lot of land,
and now that they were coming together under elected representatives is vital
in terms of the big projects undertaken in their areas like the Port Moresby
Sewerage project, which is funded by JICA together with Eda Ranu.
“One of the greatest impediments to the
development of customary land is the lack of cooperation among land owners
Groups,” he said.
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