World Bank Sees Land Problem

The World Bank survey sees the native land tenure system in Papua new Lruinea as a bar to important development in the Territory.

Tv, ie y es that a better system will nave to be devised if the land is

_, . *}j! ly developed economically

and intelligently. The present system ties too many strings to development.

The World Bank report is to be released soon.

The members of the World Bank Mission made an extensive survey of the Territory last year, aimed at produring recommendations for economic viability. It was led by Mr. K, R.

Iverson, Assistant Director of the ervdc< r s . Department of on u ’ ai ? d m 9 lu ded experts on agriculture, education, industry,

livestock, transport and finance. The World Bank was invited by the Aus tralian Government to make the survey, T+ • a * , + It is understood that the recom mendations in the report are regarded aS extremely intelligent and helpful.

The mission sees a real future in the cattle industry in the Territory, 50 long as careful selection is made of the right breeds. It sees this de velopment as a long-term one.

It sees increasing development in tea and even in copra, about which it says more can be done.