THE current Land and Title Act has been blamed as the main cause of land disputes throughout the country.
Malaita Premier highlighted during the province’s second appointed day celebrations on Monday.
Premier Peter Chanel Ramoihia said; “the current Land and Title Act is the root cause of the land disputes as the Land and Title Act do not recognise our customary land Tenure System.
“We have observed particularly that the current Land and Title Act is the main cause of land disputes as the Land and Title Act do not recognise our customary land Tenure System,” he said.
He said the current Act isolated the land away from the customary land-owners leaving resource owners to have little control over their land.
He said this is the very reason why customary land-owners would receive only small benefit from their land and resources when their land has been alienated from them through the current system.
“We continued to experience, legal arrangements usually lead to a never ending dispute or conflict between tribal groups or even within the tribes themselves,” where he said this is the very reason why national projects in Malaita never eventuate.
“I strongly urge the DCC government to review the Land and Title Act to recognize tribal ownership of land and legally safeguard their ownership,” he added.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
In Auki