Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape, has thrown his support behind a sweeping set of land reforms spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, John Rosso, calling them “essential” for protecting the country’s most valuable asset—its land.
Speaking in Parliament during the tabling of amendments to six key pieces of land-related legislation, Marape commended Rosso’s leadership and urged bipartisan backing for the reforms, which come as PNG marks its 50th year of independence.
“These corrective updates in our laws must be made so we may secure the future of our country,” Marape said. “Land is our people’s greatest inheritance—our playground, our home, our heritage.”
The reforms—covering the Land Act 1996, Physical Planning Act 1989, Surveys Act 1969, Survey Coordination Act 1967, Land Registration Act 1981, and Valuation Act 1967—were passed with cross-party support and are expected to be rolled out progressively from 2025.
Marape emphasised the importance of protecting customary landowners, particularly those in urban centres like the Motu Koitabu, who have seen large portions of land lost over the years.
“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,” he said. “It ensures no one sells or loses their land forever.”
Digitisation is a central pillar of the reform. The Marape-Rosso government has committed to transitioning PNG’s land administration from a paper-based system to a digital platform designed to improve transparency and service delivery.
Minister Rosso said the changes aim to modernise land administration processes, reduce red tape, and integrate information and communication technology (ICT) across key business functions.
“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.
The reforms also open the door for registered customary land to be used as collateral—an economic policy shift long advocated by financial inclusion proponents.
“This is an important precursor to giving value to our people and the land they own,” Marape said. “Let’s get this done for them.”
Marape proposed the formation of a bipartisan parliamentary committee to oversee the implementation of the reforms and ensure continued transparency and inclusivity in their rollout. He acknowledged the leadership of the Member for Hiri-Koiari, who chairs the Lands Committee despite being in Opposition.
“This is not a political matter—it’s national,” Marape told Parliament.
The reforms reflect a policy balancing act: strengthening landowner rights while facilitating infrastructure development and economic planning. Rosso said the laws have been designed to respect traditional land tenure while enabling the State to meet pressing development needs.
“This reform is about balance—protecting our people’s traditional ownership while allowing the State to plan, build infrastructure, and develop the economy,” Rosso said. “We are not taking land away; we are protecting it and making it work for our people.”
The full implications of these changes—particularly how digitisation will interface with customary land systems—remain to be seen. But the bipartisan support in Parliament suggests broad political appetite for modernising land governance in PNG, and for aligning it with long-term national development goals.