Vol 1. Policy Statement to Promoting a Viable Population and Environment within the Paradigm of Responsible Sustainable Development.
PNG government want a responsible sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources of the country for the benefit of the present and future generations. The central theme of this new development road map presented by StaRS is to shift the country’s socio-economic growth away from the current unsustainable growth strategy that it is following and towards a road map that is truly responsible, sustainable and able to place PNG in a competitive, advantageous position into the future.
This is an economic evaluation of the compensation to which Papua New Guinea’s customary landholders -
wrongly dispossessed through Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL) - might be entitled if they successfully sued the government. The evaluation involves the calculation of commercial loss but also, and probably moreimport antly, economic equivalent value loss. The framework identifies the relevant heads of value (not just priced transactions) and demonstrates appropriate methods for valuation. It does not pretend to be a price calculator but rather a tool for advocacy.
This report stems from a simple observation: that since Independence in 1975, Papua New Guinea’s economic and social development outcomes have not matched people’s aspirations or government promises. Indeed, despite the abundance of its riches, PNG lags behind its Pacific neighbours on many important development indicators.