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Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the Department of Lands and Physical Planing Frequently Asked Questions page. Please get started by selecting the category to the left hand site. You can also use the search function on the site to find what you're looking for.
Incorporated Land Group (ILG) refers to an organized customary group legally given recognition to their corporate nature under the ILG Act. It is a legal mechanism whereby customary groups are empowered to do business, hold, dispose, manage and deal with land in their customary name. It is a corporate vehicle which enables landowners to participate in the economic development and run their business affairs on their customary land.
The ILG Act empowers customary groups for greater participation in the national economy by way of incorporating their existing customary groups and getting recognized as a legal entity. An incorporated land group is recognized as a corporation whereby it has perpetual succession and may sue and be sued in its corporate name and may function as a corporation may do.
The primary purpose of registering an ILG under the Land Reforms on customary land tenure system is for customary land registration. Other purpose is, ILGs are used in the resource sectors like mining, petroleum, agriculture, forestry etc.. to pay landowner benefits.
Customary group of persons such as clan, tribe or other such landowning units who have traditional linkages to the customary land are eligible to register. These groups must be traditional customary land owning units and are recognized by their respective customs in their villages and the local areas. Social groups or civic organization such as church groupings are not eligible to register.
The Office of the Registrar of ILG gives emphasis on clan registration because in PNG, land is communally owned by the clan. The clan owns the land, the people and the customs. “Register your clan and you are incorporated as a Land Group”
A clan is only recognized by custom in the village and the local community. This clan can never do business with the State or any developer. Once this clan gets incorporated as a land group, it now has a legal recognition to participate in any business activities or economic development.
The mandatory requirements for ILG registration are stipulated under Section 3 of the Land Groups Incorporation (Amendment) Act 2009. These are the prescribed materials or the required information which an application for an incorporation of ILG under the new amendments must meet;
- The Application Form ( Form 1)
- Records of Meeting Decision (Form 2)
- Certification on Adoption of Constitution (Form 3)
- A Constitution of the Land Group
- List of Members (Form 4) accompanied by Birth Certificates
- List of Properties, such as land, rivers, mountains, ridges, creeks and etc. (Form 5)
- Sketch of all customary land the group owns.
A sketch or drawing or plan of the land must contain a general description of the land including;
- Its size and location.
- Use.
- Boundaries (natural features – valleys, rivers, creeks, swamps, plants etc. should be used as coordinates for demarcation of boundaries).
- The names of the village and clan.
- The sketch map must be signed by the chairman or the vice-chairman of the land group and must be dated.
- All disputed land or boundary/boundaries must be identified and clearly marked. The nature of the dispute must be noted on the sketch and signed by the disputing clan elders/leaders to acknowledge the existence of the disputed boundaries or areas. Upon the absence or refusal of the disputing party to sign, a village court officials or ward councilor/ward member may sign on their behalf.
Land registration is the action or process of ‘recording the details or particulars of a piece or parcel of land’.
- Name of the registered lessee
- Type & names of other person having an interest over the subject area (i.e. a Mortgagor)
- Area that the lessee has the interest over
- Customary Land registration is the action or process of ‘recording the customary details or particulars of a piece or parcel of land’.
- It must not be misconstrued as land alienation as what many perceive it to be.
Customary land registration attempts to record the following particulars: -
- OWNERSHIP RIGHTS
- Boundary rights
- User rights
- Occupational rights
- Access
- Easement rights
- Succession rights
Incorporated Land Group; who wish to voluntarily Register their customary Land should submit their application together with the following attachments
- Completed Customary Land Registration application form
- Copy of Incorporated Land Group Certificate
- Proposed plan compiled by a Registered Surveyor
- On receiving these, a file is opened using ILG name and LAND name.
The types of state leases that can be granted on State land are; residential lease, business, agricultural, agricultural and pastoral, mission, special purpose and urban development lease.
State land for leasing is identified through the following actions;
- site inspection,
- we have records of all the land forfeited from leaseholders for non compliance of lease covenant, and
- extinguishments from successful grantee for failing to accept the terms and conditions of the granted lease by not paying the fees and charges stipulated on the Lease Grant Notice and returned Lease Acceptance Form.
The identified state land is made available through advertisement in the National Gazette under the heading as Land Available for Leasing.
To apply for a land in response to the tender advertisement, you are required to observe the tender specifications and complete the prescribed Land Application or Tender Form, pay the specified application fee, attached receipt and lodge the application with our Land Allocation Section on the 2nd Floor of Tower 2, Aopi Center, if you are in the Province you may either faxed the copy and send the original by post or fax the copy and lodge the original with our Provincial Province Lands Office to be sent to us.
The prescribed application form is printed with the explanatory notes on its back page for guide to applicants with fees and charges clearly stipulated which should help you to complete the form with not much problem.
Applications can be obtained from our Land Allocation Section in NCD, or the Provincial Lands Office.
All applications are considered by the Land Board on the merits of each individual application and a recommendations is made to Minister for grant of the lease to the applicant so recommended.
When the Minister grants you the lease after receiving a report from the Land Board and your name published in the National Gazette under heading Successful Applicant, the Lease Co-ordinator within Lease Administration Section will serve a Lease Grant Notice informing you of how much you will be required to pay.
Your State Lease Title will be prepared upon payment of the specified fees and returned of the signed Lease Acceptance Form by you.
To appeal on the Land Boards recommendation or recommended applicant, you are required to submit a written letter or submission detailing the grounds of your appeal addressed to the Minister or his delegate the Secretary.
Pay K500.00 appeal fee, attached the receipt and lodge the appeal within 28 th days from the date of notification of letter sent to you informing you of the Boards recommendation.
The appeal is heard by the Head of State, acting on advice after having received the Minister's report on the appeal the Head of State may reject the appeal and endorse the recommendation of the Board or uphold the appeal and refer the application back for re-hearing by the Land Board.
The Head of State's decision is final.
Here in the National Capital District, make all your payment at our Cash Officer located on the 4 th Floor of Tower2, Aopi Center Building and if you are in the Provinces make payment through the Provincial BMS Office and send us the receipt of payment.
- Survey plans
- Town maps
- Milinch maps
- Fourmil map
Yes but for the purposes of quality assurance and evaluating standards and compliance.
The Surveyor General registers survey of Customary Land and Urban Land
To find proper legal land descriptions please visit our office counter.
Yes, contact the Geodetic Section for more information.
For all parcel of land that is surveyed, a registered plan containing the dimensions(bearing,distances and areas) is maintained in the Central Plan Office of the Surveyor General. These information is readily available over our service counter or by telephone.
For the Regions, depending on the locality of the survey the information is aslo available over our service counter in Mt. Hagen/Goroka/Kokopo and Lae.
Purchase documents(NLD's, DA's and UAL's) will be made available over the service counter only uopn the production of a valid court order.
For Physical identification of your land boundaries and corner marks, consultations should be made through one of the many Private Survey Firms. The Survey of Customary Land is voluntary and optional to the landowners. The surveys are undertaken by private consulting surveyors.
The office keeps all the records of the transfer of customary land to state owned. To enquire for any kind of information you will need to fill in a form provided here(link to form) and send/fax/email it to the Secretary for his approval for your particular search. A small fee is required once the completed form is brought into our office.
A survey company is registered and gazetted annually on approval by the PNG Surveyors Board.
You can buy a copy of the Economic Plantings Price Schedule from the Office of the Valuer General. The cost of the schedule is determined by the Valuer General. This schedule is only made available to Government Valuers, Government Lands Officers & Kiaps, Petroleum & Mining Industries to use as guide only for assessment purposes and in no such way to be used by landowners for compensation claims against economic plantings & structural improvements.
The office of the Valuer General does carry out compensation & acquisition valuation but we do not deal directly with customary land owners, only through Government Departments, Statutory Bodies & Agencies.
Compensation Valuation of customary land is assessed & formalized upon completion of formalities such as:
- Negotiation of land for development between land owners, government & the developers are completed & documented.
- Complying of land investigation report, to determine the rightful land owners.
- Customary land proposed for development is surveyed and registered.
- Land value is assessed, report & valuation formalized & documented and presented to the requesting agents.
Once you become a lease holder, meaning a Title Document is registered under your name you are legally bind to the terms & condition set in the Title . Land value reappraisal is assessed after every 10 & 20 years depending on the date of grant of your lease. A notice of lease rental appraisal is send to the leaseholder, stating the new annual land rental and the date of effective of the new rental which is normal the 1st of January of the new year after the date of valuation reappraisal.
- Reappraisals are based on the clause in the terms & conditions of the Title.
- If the clause is not in the Title, check the Act under which the Title is granted.
- Leases granted before 1962 would be 20 years reappraisal period
- Leases granted after 1962 would be 10 years reappraisal period
- Refer to Section 83 of land Act 1996(which is the amended version of 1962 Act) for reappraisal conditions
- All property valuations are calculated on an unimproved value freehold basis, that is, the market value of the land assuming that the improvements on the land do not exist.
- Sales of comparable blocks of land are used as a guide.
- If unimproved sales are not available, improved sales are used, the value of improvements being deducted.
- Each Local Authority area or Provincial Authority area is revalued at intervals of five (5) to seven (7) years and where necessary (e.g. subdivisions) interim valuations are made.
- Periodic revaluations are necessary due to changes in real estate demand, economic factors and land use.
- Where land is exclusively used for a single dwelling of primary production, any higher value for another is excluded.
The Valuer General Division provides the following valuation services;
- Make valuations under the provisions of the Valuation Act (Chapter 327) for the purposes of local authority rating, provincial government land tax and state lease rental
- Make valuations of real and personal property at the request of state departments, statutory bodies & agencies and general public
- Supply details of valuation rolls to the public on payments of prescribed fees
- Supply sales data information on payment of prescribed fees
- All requests must be made in writing for major valuation project and general valuation simply fill out a valuation request form. All valuation are subject to a valuation fee as per scale of fees.
- All applications must be made at the Valuer General's office and a deposit of K50.00 to be paid at the cashier office of the Department of Lands & Physical Planning, 4 th floor, Tower Two , Aopi Center , Waigani Drive and through Provincial Treasury Office in respective Provinces
- Purpose of the private valuation must be clearly stated in the valuation request by the client, consent from the owner is always required
- Under no circumstances valuation of a property for private purpose will be carried out without a proper inspection. The client must assist in allowing access on to premises to inspect the structural improvements internally & externally
- Under no circumstance private valuations requests will be accepted for court cases by Valuer General
- Private valuation on customary land is carried out only if the land is registered under Land Tenure Conversion and in accordance with Valuation & Land Acts
- Valuation certificate & report & valuation will be issued only after the full valuation fees are settled
- Client request
- Deposit of valuation fee
- Inspection of property by Valuer
- Sales Data Collections
- Market research & interpretation
- Valuation Analysis
- Valuation certificate, Report & valuation compilation
- Print, sign & bind final Valuation
After we receive all required information, it usually takes 6 - 10 days to complete the entire valuation. Depending on the nature of the assignment, report are between 4 to 10 pages
The office of the Valuer General is committed to providing valuations of the highest quality at the lowest costs. Our fees are based on Valuer General's scale of fees.
Depending on the type of valuation, our report & valuation are priced on the time, quality & efficiency, following preliminary discussion, we provide a proposal with the estimated cost and description of the services to be performed.
At present, property sales information can only be made available to Valuers.
A sound policy and legislative framework that promotes the balanced use of land for sustainable economic, social and environmental development while guaranteeing land rights.
There is some Acts being administered by other Statutory Authorities such as Forestry Acts, Fisheries Acts and Mining Acts in relation to land. Which is the superior legislation?
Anything to do with Land, the Land Act is still the superior legislation.
- Policy proposal requiring legislation;
- Policy development
- Consultation
- Drafting instructions
It must be within a relevant guideline, determination and policy. It produces guidance on issues that are fundamental to the development of legislation, such as proper processes and legal principles.
A first step is always to check the Administering Act whether regulations are in fact need to implement the policy or decision. If the matter falls within the delegated authority of the individual Minister, regulations may not be needed. The Act should also be checked to see whether it requires a particular Minister to make the regulation.
- Customary and alienated land is utilised for the benefit of all citizens, individually and collectively.
- Ownership rights to customary land, traditional values, customs and cultural heritage are preserved for present and future generations.
- Landowners willingly participate in the development of their land to improve their Living standards and reduce poverty.
- Social harmony is promoted by reconciliation between the need to protect and uphold traditional ownership rights to customary land and recognition of its importance as an essential resource for economic advancement.
- Registration of customary land is entirely voluntary and at the landowners discreation where they perceive it to be in their own best interests for social economic reasons.
- Land use is sustainable with natural resources and the environment being conserved and replenished for the benefit of future generations.
- People have access to reliable information on land.
Legislation relating to land has been enacted on a placemeal basis over a period of time. Consequently, there are inconsistencies between Acts reflecting when they were drafted and the philosophies prevailing at the time.
There is now a pressing need for consolidation based on a holistic review of the entire legislative frame work.This in turn must be based on a clearly enunciated policy framework that reduces the need for State ownership of land, empowers landowners and encourages them willingly to participate in the Development of their own land.
The issue that now confronts us is how best customary landowners can utilise their land in a substainable manner towards improving their standard of Living.
By doing this there has to be an enabling environment to encourage and assist landowners to participate willingly in the development of the land through the export earnings, more employment increase in income and further expand their income earning opportunities which contributes to the overall improvement of living standards of the people.
If you require a copy of the purchase document, you must write to the Department Secretary highlighting the reasons why you require copies of the Purchase Document.
The Acts administered by the Department can be access through Acts and Regulations in Policy website.
Understanding stakeholders requirements on the issues pertaining through land is done by Analysis of their requirements and the satisfaction surveys.
eLands is your new way to interact with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning from the comfort of your home, office or while on the move!
By registering and verifying your identity today, you will be able to link and administer your properties; including bills sent directly to your email, complete billing and payment history, applying for payment assistance if you're experience hardship, keeping track of your property valuation, updating your billing information and much, much more!
Registering and activating your eLands account is quick and easy. All you need is a valid email address.
- You can begin the registration process by visiting the eLands overview page.
If you don't already have an email address, it's free and easy to obtain one. There are numerous free and secure email providers which allow Papua New Guineans to get there very own virtual mail box.
Some of the most popular email providers (in no particular order):
- Gmail (Google email): https://gmail.com
- Outlook (Microsoft email): https://outlook.com
- Yahoo Mail: https://mail.yahoo.com
In some rare cases, your email provider may have moved the activation email we sent you, to your spam folder.
If you still haven't received your activation email, please contact an officer from the Support Centre and we will work with you to get your new eLands account activated.
The Department of Lands and Physical Planning currently supports payments using Master Card, Visa and UnionPay.
The major banks of Papua New Guinea are making it easier than ever to start paying for Government services online from the comfort of your home or office. If you already have a local card (eg. KinaCard, Handycard & KunduCard) then, in most cases, you already qualify for a card which you can use for online payments. For more information on how to apply, please see the below information of your corresponding bank.
To find out more information, please visit the Support Payment Methhods page.
While eLands makes it as easy as possible to search for your property using the information contained on your title, there may be some scenarios where you can't return any results.
In the case where you can't find your property using the Property lookup tool, please contact one of our officers via the Support Centre and include as much detail as possible in your submission. An officer will assist you in finding and linking your property to your eLands account.
The Department of Lands and Physical Planning is currently in the process of consolidating historical property information and in some rare cases, the Latest Charge displayed on the Property Information page may not accurately reflect your latest unimproved property valuation.
In order for us to expedite the correction of your property bills, you must link your property to your eLand saccount (once you have completed the identity verification process).
Once you have verified your identity, you will be able to link your property to your eLands account.
If you've provided the correct prerequisite information, typically your Property Link Request will be approved within a few days. While we endeavour to have your Property Link Request processed as soon as possible, in some cases it may take longer than expected due to additional verifications which must take place.
I can’t find an answer to my question ...
We understand that in some circumstances you may have questions which aren’t covered on our website. The best way to make contact with an authorised representative at the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, is through our online support platform. You may submit an enquiry to have your question(s) answered.