ABG and Steamships advance collaboration on Land Engagement and Economic Development in Bougainville
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and Steamships Trading Company (Steamships) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a framework for collaboration between ABG Institutions, traditional land custodians and Steamships.
The MOU follows a longstanding series of consultative engagements between traditional land custodians, key ABG departments and Steamships to strengthen alignment on the land engagement process in Bougainville.
These engagements brought together the Office of the Chief Secretary, Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Department of Community Government and District Affairs, Department of Commerce, Trade, Industry and Economic Development, and the Department of Justice and Legal Services, providing a platform to work together to address key enabling land management matters.
This collaborative process will assist the ABG to sustainably develop land with titleholders and future developers allowing the government to realise the full economic potential for the benefit of the people of Bougainville. Steamships holds title to properties in Central Bougainville acquired prior to the Bougainville Crisis.
Noting that this process commenced in 2021, the company reaffirmed its unperturbed commitment to working through a structured and considered consultative process in partnership with traditional land custodians and the government to address the various nuances associated with undertaking such critical foundational work.
This collaborative process is governed by a focus on responsible investment, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with Bougainville’s broader economic priorities. As a responsible developer, Steamships emphasised that it’s future decisions will consider opportunities to support local economic participation, employment, and sustainable development outcomes. Representatives from the ABG and traditional land custodian groups welcomed the consultative and collaborative approach.
The formalisation of this framework marks a significant step in strengthening cooperation between government, traditional land custodians, the private sector and foreign investors, as Bougainville continues its recovery and development journey to independence.
Photo: (front L-R) The signed MOU displayed by Dan Khaisir (General Manager Business Development, Steamships) and Lynette Baratai Poka (Secretary, ABG Department of Lands, Physical Planning Environment, Conservation and Climate Change).
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