Commission of Inquiry into The Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL): Final Report

This Commission of Inquiry (COI) by the Chief Commissioner was established by Acting Prime Minister Hon. Sam Abal MP pursuant to his powers under Section 2 of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Chapter 31) on 21st July 2011 to investigate and inquire into Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABLs) and their operations.

Growing concerns over the way in which SABLs were being acquired and the manner in which SABLs were being used for dubious agriculture and business purposes, as some instances indicated, generated heated debate. It was estimated that over 5.2 million hectares of customary land around the country had been alienated, mostly for ‘special agriculture activities’ over virgin forest tracts containing tropical hardwoods. It was estimated that more than 400 SABLs have been issued over customary land since the early 1980s to the time this COI was set up.