Papua New Guinea

Our Take

Palm oil nursery in West Pomio © Paul Hilton/Greenpeace
Our Take
From Extraction to Inclusion
A Bold Call for Real Development in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) stands at a crossroads. For decades, its development narrative has been dominated by resource extraction of gold, copper, oil, gas, timber, and palm oil, promising prosperity but delivering inequality. While foreign corporations profit, most Papua New Guineans remain marginalized, their environments scarred, and their futures uncertain.
Our Take
Bankrolling the Carbon Cowboys: The World Bank's Carbon Insurance Plans
If the plans move forward, MIGA would not only be insuring a false climate solution that has spectacularly failed to reduce emissions over the past 20 years, but it would also provide insurance against host countries attempting to regulate the carbon trade.
Our Take
Money Will Not Buy My Heart to Give My Land Away
The day we met Paul Palosualrea Pavol, he was evidently tired. It took him four days to travel from his home village in West Pomio, Papua New Guinea (PNG) to our offices in Oakland, California. Weary eyed, he was still eager to share with us his struggle against logging and palm oil companies that have stolen over 5.5 million hectares of land in his country.
Our Take
Rainforest or the Illegal Logger – Who is Really Under Threat in Papua New Guinea?
“The forestry industry is on the brink of disaster” warned Bob Tate, the head of the Papua New Guinea Forest Industries Association (PNGFIA) on November 22, 2017. According to Tate, a spokesperson for the logging companies clear cutting the forests of Papua New Guinea (PNG), increase in log export taxes put in place by the government this year, combined with low international prices for tropical timber, are putting the industry at risk. Is the forestry industry in PNG really “on the brink of disaster” or is Mr. Tate just delusional?

Press Releases & Public Statements

A ship waiting to load logs in Turubu Bay, East Sepik. © The Oakland Institute
Press Release
The Government of Papua New Guinea Imposes a Historic Fine on a Logging Company for Tax Evasion
The Internal Revenue Commission of Papua New Guinea imposed a substantial K140 million [US$ 40 million] tax assessment against a prominent logging operator.
Logging camp in Fergusson Island, Milne Bay.
Press Release
The Government of Papua New Guinea Cracks Down on Logging Companies
---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--- May 13, 2021 8:00 AM PT Media Contact:Frédéric Mousseau, [email protected]; +1 510-512-5458 On May 10, 2021, Papua New Guinea’s Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) announced decisive action against logging companies. 20 companies are being audited as the IRC plans to scale up compliance activities — including criminal prosecutions. This move follows a 2019 increase on log export taxes. Over the last decade, Papua New Guinea has become the largest exporter of tropical timber.
Walking into Nogoli, PNG Highlands. © James McIlraith / University of Otago
Press Release
New Report Calls for a Dramatic Change from Extraction to Inclusion for Real Development in Papua New Guinea
---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--- October 5th, 2020; 13:00 PT / 20:00 UTC Contacts: Eddie Tanago, ACT NOW! (Papua New Guinea) / [email protected] / +675-7119-3498 Dr Luke Fletcher, Jubilee Australia / [email protected] / +61 (0) 435-901-086 Frederic Mousseau, The Oakland Institute (USA) / [email protected] / +1-510-512-5458 Oakland/Port Moresby/Sidney — With the release of a new report today, ACT NOW!, Jubilee Australia, and the Oakland Institute, call for an urgent change of course from political leaders in Papua New Guinea.
Oakland Institute and Jubilee Australia logos
Press Release
Land Summit in Papua New Guinea: a dangerous attack on the country’s unique customary land tenure system
---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--- May 2, 2019 Contacts: Frederic Mousseau, the Oakland Institute [email protected] +1-510-512-5458 Dr Luke Fletcher, Jubilee Australia [email protected] +61 (0) 435 901 086 Oakland/Sidney — Jubilee Australia and the Oakland Institute denounce the National Land Summit, organized by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government, as a dangerous attack on the country’s unique customary land tenure system.

Audio & Video

A ship waiting to load logs in Turubu Bay, East Sepika. © The Oakland Institute
Podcast
Crackdown on Loggers in Papua New Guinea ft. Eddie Tanago
“People must be made the center of development, not the interests of logging companies, not the interests of mining companies. When the people are at the center of development, we will see all the good things that come down and people will benefit from it. If not, we will be repeating the same old thing, expecting a different result, but we're going to be progressing backwards instead of going forward.” Eddie Tanago, ACT NOW Andy Currier (AC): Hello and welcome back to For Land & Life — the Oakland Institute Podcast. My name is Andy Currier and I’m your host for today’s episode.
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Podcast
Changing the Path to Development in Papua New Guinea ft. Frederic Mousseau
The Oakland Institute Policy Director Frederic Mousseau joins to discuss how despite an abundance of natural resource wealth, Papua New Guinea’s reliance on large scale extraction projects has failed to provide development for its people. Instead of allowing foreign corporations to evade taxes and bank profits offshore, PNG must change course to provide people centered development. Transcript As a leading policy think tank, the Oakland Institute is bringing fresh ideas and bold action to the most pressing social, economic and environmental issues of our time.
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Video
On Our Land (Français)
On Our Land raconte l'expérience des communautés rurales de Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée et donne la parole à celles et ceux qui voient leurs terres et ressources naturelles accaparées par une deforestation illégale massive. Le film évoque l'échec des politiques de développement en place dans le pays et le montre combat que mènent communautés et ONGs pour défendre leurs droits et les ressources naturelles dont elles dépendent.
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Video
On Our Land
On Our Land chronicles the experiences of rural communities in Papua New Guinea — giving a voice to those who are losing their land and natural resources to illegal logging operations. The film exposes the failure of current development strategies and highlights community and local NGO struggles to take back what is rightfully theirs. Regarder en français

News Articles

Eurasia Review
The Decline Of Nature In Papua New Guinea: An Analysis Of Land Reforms In PNG
Papua New Guinea (henceforth as PNG) is resources rich and this ecological diversity could lead to actuating the Resource Curse Theory. Land as a component of nature and a pivot of economic centrism in case of PNG is worth evaluation. The Land Reforms in PNG entail a long story of upheavals and downplays especially against a highly mercurial political economy context.
Internal Revenue Commission of Papua New Guinea
Major Logging Operator Charged K140M For Tax Evasion
Papua New Guinea, [26/06/2023] – The Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) has imposed a substantial K140 million tax assessment against a prominent logging operator (identity withheld) in Papua New Guinea for engaging in illicit tax evasion, specifically through transfer pricing. This amended assessment (tax bill) is a direct outcome of an extensive transfer pricing audit conducted on the taxpayer. This was revealed today by Commissioner General Sam Koim when announcing the outcome of the first of more than twenty audits initiated since he took office.
The Guardian
Lush Forests Laid to Waste: How Pacific Islands Got Hooked on Logging
The timber industry in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands has brought money and jobs -- but also pollution, environmental devastation and food insecurity
PNGi
Is Rimbunan Hijau Ending Its Plunder of PNG Forests?
For more than 25 years Rimbunan Hijau has dominated the logging industry in Papua New Guinea; so much so that the name ‘RH’ has become ‘popularly synonymous not just with the problems of the logging sector but with corruption and anti- Chinese sentiments in general’. [1] At it’s peak, RH was responsible for more than 50% of PNG’s annual log exports, much more if anecdotal reports of hidden company ownerships are true, but in recent years the official figures have been declining. In 2020, Rimbunan Hijau exported just 240,000 cubic metres of logs – less than 10% of PNG’s total by volume.